Chance encounter: NBA legend leaves lasting impression

If Jacob Chance was ever searching for proof his coaching methods were on the right track, he found it in a pre-game speech from a five-time NBA champion.

In his first season coaching the Austin Spurs in the G League, Chance and his team received a visit from none other than San Antonio legend Gregg Popovich.

One of the all-time coaching greats now serves as the Spurs' President of Basketball Operations, and still has a profound impact on the club.

"He spoke to our team before one of the games. He also spoke to the main team before the playoffs," the now Melbourne United coach told The Age's Jon Pierik.

"You hear different things, but again, I think his superpower is just how clear he keeps it with the expectations of what it means to be a Spur, and it really just comes back to that – play really hard, play the right way, and be really coachable and a great teammate – and he just holds them to account for that."

Those philosophies resonated with Chance, who, as a first-time head coach, has already had the opportunity to learn from the likes of Trevor Gleeson, Scott Roth and Dean Vickerman.

"As much as this is the most heightened sense of basketball in the world, you know, [the] NBA Finals, you're still talking about the same things," Chance reflected.

Melbourne United actively sought Chance's signature to fill the void left by three-time NBL championship coach, Vickerman.

At just 32, he's five years younger than the club's veteran presence, Chris Goulding, but age hasn't stopped Chance from gaining experience many other prospective head coaches could only dream of.

"I don't want to say surprised me, but what's been really great has been his [Chance's] attention to detail, his intent to get clarity, and how steadfast he is in what he believes in, and what he wants us to do and how he thinks we can be successful in that. He's steadfast in that," Goulding said.

From a video intern with the Wildcats to an NBL head coach in a little over a decade, it's been quite the journey for Jacob Chance.

On Saturday night, he leads Melbourne into battle against the Adelaide 36ers, and one of the most successful NBL coaches of all time, the man who guided him in Perth, Gleeson.

It's been quite the whirlwind, but the adventure is only just beginning.

Read the full story here >> How an NBA legend’s ‘superpower’ has shaped Melbourne United’s new coach