Anthony’s Cole hard truth

Cole Anthony’s run-ins with officials have become one of the biggest talking points of the season, but Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance is keen for the chapter to close.

Since arriving in Australia, the former Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks guard has been vocal about the officiating, racking up numerous technical fouls.

While Chance admits his star has overstepped the mark at times, he says the club is firmly in his corner.

“Unfortunately, on the weekend, we saw a couple of incidents that I’m sure Cole would love to have back,” Chance said on SEN.

“Cole’s acknowledged he’s made some mistakes, where he stepped over that line.

“It’s crossing that line that we want to avoid at times, and I’m sure he’s striving to do better.

“But I’m backing the individual and the guy that I see every day to keep improving in that space, and we’ll certainly keep supporting him as a club too.

“[Because] he’s a great human being, and he’s a world-class player.”

Earlier in the week, NBL head of referees Scott Butler explained that Anthony, and all players, start each game with a clean slate, dismissing any thoughts of ‘prejudgements’.

“The one thing that they (the referees) will make sure they do is ensure that every game is approached with a fresh set of eyes and a fresh lens, just to ensure that there’s no carryover from previous games,” Butler said.

Cole’s first opportunity to show he’s a changed man comes when Melbourne return to the court on Saturday night against Brisbane at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.