Days away from being a Breaker: Ingles' New Zealand revelation

As a 17-year-old, Joe Ingles was days away from becoming a Breaker.

In an in-depth chat with NBL Media, Ingles revealed for the first time just how close he came to signing with New Zealand instead of the South Dragons.

"I was actually probably pretty close to signing with the New Zealand Breakers at the time," he revealed of a massive decision he faced coming into the professional ranks.

"I don't think I've ever actually said that. Like Adelaide was there, but then I was kind of probably moved on from that, and I really loved the Blackwell family, who owned the Breakers at the time ... they were unbelievable.

"I was really close to signing there, which probably would have been pretty crazy, to move to New Zealand as a 17-year-old.

"And the day or two right when I was about to sign, I got a call from the Dragons."

Ingles said that call led to a life-changing decision.

"I flew in and met with Mark Cowan (club owner) at the time and just loved everything they were about," he said.

"Being the first player to sign, there was no coach, we had no players, it was really just me at the time. Mark was the one that kind of really made me believe that it would work out. Nathan and Ryan, his two sons, who I'm still really close today ... Nathan was the one that mentioned to Mark, like, 'hey, there's this kid you should try and sign, and his dad was like, all right'. And it worked out."

The rest, as they say, is history.

The Dragons' first coach, Mark Price, lasted just five games before Shane Heal and Guy Malloy took charge for the following two seasons. Then came a defining moment in the club's short history.

After finishing last in his second season, the Dragons turned to Brian Goorjian to turn things around.

"We made the playoffs my first year, bottomed my second year, and then we won the championship third year," Ingles said.

"So bit of a whirlwind, but wouldn't have changed it for anything ... like I learned a lot, I won a championship, I got to play with good players, like I got to shoot with Hammer (Shane Heal) every day.

"It was really a fun time. I met Renae (Joe's wife) when I was in Melbourne, which I would have never done if I didn't sign. It was very, very fond memories of being in Melbourne, winning a championship here, and smacking the Tigers in game five, thanks to Trel Darden ... wouldn't change any of that."

A hugely successful European and NBA career naturally followed for one of Australia's all-time greats, but there's no telling how different that path could have looked had a 17-year-old Ingles made a different call back in 2006.