Martin hails Cotton as NBL's "unicorn"

Damian Martin and Bryce Cotton formed one of the NBL’s deadliest backcourts during their four seasons playing together for the Perth Wildcats. So deadly in fact, the club was named champions in three of the four seasons they played alongside each other.

Martin was present at Monday’s MVP awards night to present the Best Defensive Player award named in his honour to eventual winner Shea Ili, but he also saw his former teammate take to the stage to collect his fourth career MVP crown.

That crown has moved Cotton into outright second place in the all-time MVP leaders. He’s still behind the consensus greatest NBL player of all time – Andrew Gaze – who leads the way with seven, but he’s now clear of Leroy Loggins who won three during his career.

Martin says it’s only since he’s left the game that he’s learned to appreciate just how special Cotton is.

“What do you say when you’re teammates with a once in a generation talent? Nothing, you’re usually oblivious to it. You’re aware they’re the best player in the team, even the league, but you don’t appreciate just how special they are until you’re removed from the game,” Martin reflected on SEN WA.

“If you were to see a unicorn once you’d be blown away, if you saw one every single day the wow factor subsides because it’s in front of you so often. That’s how playing alongside Bryce Cotton was for me.

“There were things he did at training that if you were seeing it for the first time you’d be gob smacked, when it’s done day after day at training and then again in games we thought ‘that’s just Bryce’.

“Now removed from seeing him daily it’s like I’m seeing that magical, mythical animal again for the first time, except now I appreciate not just what he does on the court, but the man he is off it and the hurdles he’s had to overcome to get to this point.

“It was a great night and as I saw my great mate go up on stage I felt a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment very few people get to have.”

The MVP award was voted on by coaches and captains around the league along with a panel of experts, and Cotton earned 118 votes en route to his fourth career victory.

Such was his dominance this season that he earned more votes than second-placed Chris Goulding (53) and third-placed Parker Jackson-Cartwright (50) combined.

“I can’t remember more separation between Bryce Cotton who won the MVP and whoever the runners-up were going to be,” Martin said.

“It was a great season from a number of players but Bryce really did separate himself from the pack, so it came as no surprise that he not only took out the Fans MVP but the Andrew Gaze award for MVP.”