The headline game of the NBL26 season will be played in Perth on Sunday afternoon, when five-time MVP, three-time champion and two-time Grand Final MVP Bryce Cotton walks back into RAC Arena – not as a Wildcat, but as an Adelaide 36er.
It is the storyline that captured the entire league and may go down as one of the most consequential decisions in NBL history.
The circumstances of Cotton’s departure have been debated, speculated and emotionally dissected. When Cotton wanted space to explore free agency, the Wildcats wanted a commitment.
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“Maybe three or four days after I came to Puerto Rico, they were like, ‘Look, we need an answer. They sent an email: We need an answer within the next two or three days whether you’re going to sign your extension or not,” Cotton said on his podcast The EasyDay Show.
“I was like, ‘Hold up … you knew all year I’ve been saying I want to test Free Agency’,” Cotton added.
For a player who carried the club through eras, that moment remains a sore point.
Tim Gossage of SEN WA summarised the situation: “There was a contract offered to Bryce Cotton, but it was weeks after it was due to be offered. This is on the Perth Wildcats ownership … the saddest part is that the club lost him to a rival.”
Wildcats owner Mark Arena has been clear about the club’s stance.
“We felt we certainly gave Bryce as much time as we could … we probably would have been able to give more time if we didn’t have so many players out of contract,” Arena said.
“Our role is to build a team that could win a championship and we felt – even now still feel – that we had to move on and start building that team and that roster,” Arena added.
But it was the two simple words “no regrets” that lit a match across the league.
It wasn’t about bitterness. It wasn’t about right or wrong. It was acknowledgment that Cotton’s era was over and the Wildcats had chosen to move forward – whether the fanbase agreed with it or not.
Now, as Sunday afternoon nears, Wildcats icons Damian Martin and Greg Hire, along with 10 News Perth’s Lachy Reid, reflect on Cotton’s legacy exclusively with Foxsports.com.au – on and off the floor.
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THE BEGINNING OF THE GREATEST CAREER IN RED
When Cotton signed in January 2017, few in the NBL knew they were about to witness a transformational figure. He debuted with 26 points and instantly showed he could dominate games with a precision rarely seen.
Greg Hire remembered the intrigue.
“The only footage we had seen was just that clip of him at Utah, and we were in contact with Joe Ingles, who had alluded to us that Bryce was an incredible player,” he said.
“When we heard about Bryce and his background at Utah, it was clear he had the potential to be special – there was a lot of excitement about what he could bring to our team,” Hire added.
Cotton finished that season with a championship, Grand Final MVP, and 22.1 points per game – winning the scoring title off just 11 appearances.
Lachy Reid recalls the first explosion that truly introduced Cotton to Australia: “First grand final appearance, 45 points. Just historic – he single-handedly won that grand final series.”
“We were introduced to Bryce Cotton, the legend of the NBL in that one particular game,” Reid added.
That performance wasn’t just scoring. It established an aura – that clutch moments belonged to him.
Cotton left that offseason chasing the NBA dream. It was never about escaping Perth — it was about testing his ceiling.
Greg Hire joked: “If Bryce is in the league, it means his agent sucks.”
The truth behind the joke? Cotton was NBA-level good – he just never landed in the right situation.
When Cotton returned, the Wildcats felt a shift.
“I remember sitting with Damo and Trev… the anticipation was palpable,” Hire said. That anticipation materialised into something stronger – belief.
Cotton’s second season: MVP.
Cotton’s third and fourth seasons: championships.
Cotton became the first Wildcat ever to win MVP, Grand Final MVP and a championship in the same season.
The late Corey Williams captured the growing sentiment: “The greatest import to ever do it.”
Across following seasons, Cotton built a legacy few will match. He won his fourth and fifth MVPs and produced one of the greatest individual statistical seasons in league history – including a 59-point game, followed by 40 and 49-point nights.
Reid summarised Cotton’s rare longevity: “What separates him … is his ability to be a superstar year in, year out over a long period of time.”
“Bryce had this amazing ability to control the game; he always seemed to be two steps ahead on the court,” Hire said.
And Martin captured the weight he carried: “He carried that weight on his shoulders better than probably anyone else I’ve been fortunate enough to call a teammate.”
Cotton wasn’t dominant for a season or two – he was dominant for nearly a decade. That’s not normal. That’s legacy-level excellence.
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THE ULTIMATE TEAMMATE AND LEADER
Cotton’s ability wasn’t just measured in points. Inside the locker room, he unified teams.
“Bryce demonstrated strong leadership qualities without being officially appointed as a captain; he naturally kept the team together,” Hire said.
Cotton helped younger players grow, supported imports navigating a new league, and never allowed ego to creep in.
Reid captured that perfectly: “He was a team player. No teammate would walk away going, he was selfish… he knew when to turn it on individually, but he knew also how to get the best out of his teammates.”
And he wasn’t just a basketball figure in Perth – he was part of the city’s community and identity.
Reid acknowledged that void: “There’s probably a void off the court, media-wise. Bryce Cotton was the feature of most stories.”
Cotton made everyone around him better – teammates, reporters, and the league as a whole.
Cotton’s return has created anticipation and emotion the league hasn’t seen in years. The atmosphere will feel like a reunion, a farewell, and a showdown all rolled into one.
Some will stand. Some may boo. Most will cheer.
Reid summed up why: “They haven’t really had the chance to say goodbye to him. And this is actually their goodbye in a sense.”
Martin doesn’t expect a ripple – he expects a roar.
“I know I’ll be giving him a standing ovation. I dare say I’ll be one of a bit of 13,000 doing the exact same.”
Then he shifted from emotion to basketball reality: “If the Wildcats want to stop him from getting 40, they’ll double-team him every time.”
Cotton won’t walk into that arena as an outsider. He’ll walk in as someone returning to a place where he created history.
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A LEGACY BUILT LIKE FEW OTHERS
Cotton’s Perth chapter ended, but what he left behind remains irreplaceable.
Reid explained the debate simply: “I don’t know whether there has to be a number one… we just have to appreciate maybe two eras of basketball… I’m putting them together.”
“If you think of the greatest players, Bryce Cotton is right up there in that upper echelon,” Hire said.
Martin highlighted the global impact: “Bryce’s name was there alongside guys like Larry Kestelman and Andrew Bogut… he deserves to be put in that realm of people who have changed the game.”
Cotton changed how players around the world view the NBL – proof that greatness, longevity and financial security exist in Australia.
Reid summed it up: “Imports will see what Bryce has done – money, lifestyle, success – and realise the NBL can be a place to build a real career.”
One day, his No. 11 will hang in the rafters.
And on Sunday, Perth fans get what they never got — closure.
Not because he is theirs anymore, but because he always will be part of who they became.
