'Surreal honour' that Cotton had given up on

After years of trying to make it happen, six-time MVP Bryce Cotton finally pulled on his first Australian Boomers jersey on Thursday.

While it was only during a press conference in Adelaide, it signified Cotton’s long-awaited Boomers debut is only weeks away, with the three-time champion slated to suit up for the green and gold during July’s FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Perth.

“It's very surreal for me,” Cotton said.

“Even when I first put the jersey on, I just took a little bit of time to stare at the Australia and then see my name on the back.

“It's been a very long process. Nonetheless, finally got here. I'm very grateful for the opportunity, and I'm excited that of all places, my first game as a Boomer will be in Perth.

“It’s ironic and funny how fate turns out sometimes, [honestly] it couldn’t have been scripted any better.

“It’s a huge moment for me and my family, and it'll be nice to be back in Perth, where the fans can cheer me as I won’t be playing against the Wildcats.”

As the 33-year-old mentioned, the process of not only making his Boomers debut, but also getting his Australian citizenship, has been a drawn-out one.

Cotton first arrived in Perth in 2017, which was the first of nine seasons he played with the Wildcats.

“Long story short, when I got permanent residency, it was during the COVID times, and I wasn't able to leave the country when I got permanent residency,” Cotton said.

“While being detained in that room, they switched my special visa to a permanent resident. They said I was unlawfully in the country for 15 minutes, so it restarted my whole process, and this was back in 2021.

“Somewhere around that time frame, this [Boomers debut] should have or could have happened, and it didn't.

“It was a cool opportunity that I had never thought of when I first came to Australia, and then it was a nice idea to entertain when it seemed like it could be real. But when they started the process over, I kind of just let go.

“[Honestly] I kind of mentally gave up on it, out of sight, out of mind.

“But sometimes in life, when you kind of let go of things, they end up working out in their own way, in their own time, and that's what happened [on this occasion]. It’s been a crazy turnaround.”

The honour is not just massive for Cotton himself, with him saying it's a “huge deal” for his family.

Cotton's family is based in Arizona, which is not too far away from Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Olympic Games.

While he’s not getting ahead of himself, he says he’d love the chance to compete against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, especially in front of his loved ones.

“It would be amazing to play against any country [including the United States],” he said.

“For all sports, it's the world's best competing against the world's best.

“To have an opportunity to be a part of that, whether it's representing the country I was born in or another country thinking enough of me to want me to represent their country, is of equal honour in my mind.

“There are a lot of things I've checked off the to-do list in my basketball journey. This was never on that list as a kid, but you know, sometimes different opportunities pop up, and I'd love to be able to check that off the list if that's what is in God's plan.

“[Especially] if I had the cool opportunity to play at the Olympics in my home country, where my family could attend. It would be one for the memory bank, that’s for sure.”

The remainder of the Boomers squad to play alongside Cotton in Perth, against Guam on July 3 and the Philippines on July 6, is expected to be named in the near future.