The win that brought Goorjian to tears

Across 857 NBL games, Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian has racked up 584 wins on the sidelines. Included in that are six NBL championships, as well as countless Playoff appearances.

Still, the six-time Coach of the Year says Sunday’s emotional, backs-against-the-wall win over Melbourne United was as memorable as any.

“I went and sat by myself in the locker room and I was teary. I’ve had a lot of good wins, but domestically, that was as powerful a win as I’ve ever had," Goorjian said to Fox Sports.

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An element of that was the Kings' slow start to the season, where they came out of the gates at 3-5.

Now, despite a mounting injury toll which includes Xavier Cooks (ankle), Matthew Dellavedova (concussion), Bul Kuol (knee), Keli Leaupepe (knee) and Jason Spurgin (foot), the Harbour City outfit have rattled off eight wins from their past 10 contests.

“I kept saying disappointment is going to be our friend. We will grow through disappointment. There’s going to be some early. It’s a natural progression,” Goorjian said.

“Take all the outside noise out. We’ve got the right people in the locker room, and we’re going to grow [together]. And we haven’t even scratched the surface.

“The story of our season really is the camaraderie, the culture, the trust, and the grit we’ve been trying to instil over a two year period. That’s really come to the forefront.”

Goorjian's Kings, who sit in third with a 15-9 record, take on Brisbane on Thursday night as part of the 2026 HoopsFest.

The RAC Arena fixture tips off at 9.30pm AEDT (6.30pm AWST), live on ESPN.

Read the full story here >> Brian Goorjian opens up on stunning Kings turnaround, ‘most powerful’ win of his career