From Tucson to Perth: How Cotton changed his mindset

Regardless of what he achieves in the NBL in the remainder of his career here, Bryce Cotton has already established himself as one of the greatest players the league has ever seen – and that legend is still only set to grow.

However, had Cotton not broadened his horizons, we might never had got to bear witness to the greatness the three-time MVP possesses on a week-to-week basis.

Cotton went undrafted after playing a full four years at Providence, but found himself signed by the Austin Spurs after the 2014 NBA Summer League.

Short NBA stints with Utah and Phoenix followed before he took his talents abroad for the first time, only to return to America for a final short stint with Memphis.

Cotton has now been playing exclusively abroad since 2016, but says he never expected to leave the shores of the United States.

“I remember saying to one of my teammates when we were in college, we were talking about getting ready to graduate and I had said if push came to shove and I ended up playing overseas I had said I would probably just retire,” Cotton told Pete Hooley on The Huddle.

“It shows how much my mind and my life has adapted from that statement.

“It hasn’t aged well but I’m glad because I love it out here and to me it’s just a kinder version of America in a lot of ways – and much safer.

“I just love the fact with Perth in particular it’s such a laid-back place. You might have fast-paced places like Sydney or Melbourne but this is more my speed, similar to where I grew up … I like that.

“Then I made a family out here so I can’t ask for much more.”

Cotton’s transition from refusing to consider the prospect of playing overseas to building a life for himself on the other side of the world took place over the course of half a decade.

He’s been with the Wildcats since part-way through the NBL17 season, and his since won three titles, three MVPs, a pair of Larry Sengstock Medals, and has been named scoring champion in all but one of his seasons with the team.

He has cited 2019 as the year he began to consider building a life for himself and his family in Perth.

“I always knew I’d come back and visit Australia because I love it so much. As far as living here I would probably say 2019 is when those thoughts really started becoming a bit more prominent,” he continued.

“I thought maybe I can do this, like it did make sense weighing out the pros and cons.

“It’s exciting for me because some of the things my daughter has experienced in her three years of life are some things I hadn’t experienced until maybe I was close to heading off the college.

“It’s great to see how much of a head start she has in life compared to what I had.

“That’s what excites me the most.”

Catch Cotton’s full interview on The Huddle, and listen to him discuss the reason he wears the number 11, his status in the NBL GOAT debate, and how he’s still got things to tick off on his checklist.