Melbourne United sign point guard with recent NBA experience

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anthony-cole/zwNJjcss/"]Anthony[/a] played NBA basketball as recently as February 2026 before making a surprise move to the NBL on a one-year contract. [/p][p]The 26-year-old son of 850-game mercenary turned television pundit Greg Anthony played 332 of his 367 career matches at the Magic before being traded in February 2026 to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Phoenix Suns[/a], who waived him three weeks later without a single minute on the court. [/p][p]Anthony was destined for big things from a young age, being crowned as the MVP of the 2018 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League season months before winning a gold medal with Team USA at the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. [/p][p]A successful college season in North Carolina propelled him to the number 15 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with the Magic, where he recorded a game-winning buzzer-beating three-pointer against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota Timberwolves[/a]. [/p][p]One of his career highlights came two years later when he fulfilled a childhood dream of participating in the NBA All-Star Weekend slam dunk competition, sporting his father's #50 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] shirt and a pair of Timberlands. [/p][embed guid="db06176f-f136-42c4-bad5-514498bc5436" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42odF2nSvE" social-type="youtube" /][p]Anthony played 75 matches alongside Aussie veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ingles-joe/jX8f6R32/"]Joe Ingles[/a] during the 2023/24 season and they will be reunited at John Cain Arena, with Ingles having put pen to paper on a two-year contract in May. [/p][p]Ingles [a href="https://www.nbl.com.au/news/melbourne-united-land-huge-signing-cole-anthony-as-second-import" target="_blank"]told the NBL website[/a] that Anthony was an "elite scorer" and "elite competitor" who will be an immense asset to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/melbourne-united/CntvKeJI/"]United[/a] roster. [/p][p]"[b]I think he's going to have a big impact here in the NBL,[/b]" Ingles said.[/p][p]"I think a point guard in this league is very important, and we've got a hell of a local point guard with Shea Ili, so adding in Cole with his pace, his ability to score at a high level, it's going to be a handful for other teams.[/p][p][b]"We've got a really unselfish team, and I think he adds to that. He's going to command so much attention from the defence, and that's going to open things up for everyone on the court with him.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="9f625037-6055-437c-bfad-ab06895ab9b4" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geMfZfFsOkU" social-type="youtube" /][p]Anthony's signing continues an exciting transformation for United in the post-Vickerman era under new coach Jacob Chance, who hailed the recruitment as "a huge moment for our club".[/p][p]"[b]In this last spot, we wanted an elite guard with the ability to help lead our offence with his scoring ability, who makes his teammates better, while also being a really good person off the court, and Cole Anthony checks every one of those boxes[/b]," Chance said.[/p][p]"His pace of play, his strength finishing around the rim, his vision, his versatility playing off the ball as a shooter, his willingness to get down in a stance and defend, all of that makes him the perfect guard for this team.[/p][p]"[b]In my conversations with him, it's been very clear that his primary focus is winning, and I'm confident that his best basketball is still ahead of him, so coming to the NBL we expect him to elevate his game to a new level, in turn lifting everyone around him.[/b]"[/p][p]Anthony's best NBL season from a statistical perspective came in 2021/22 when he averaged 16 points, five rebounds and five assists per game despite his team finishing at the bottom of the conference with an abysmal 22-60 record. [/p][embed guid="9634fa51-6048-40fb-aa38-33c755a5fa00" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1b7K1OaPg" social-type="youtube" /]