Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton outstanding resume continues to get better as he won his fifth Andrew Gaze Trophy as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2024/25 NBL Season.
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The American, who has called Perth home since 2017, now has the second-most MVP’s, only behind Gaze who won seven in his illustrious career.
It is the second time in the 32-year-old’s career that he has won consecutive MVP awards, a feat only matched by Gaze, as he ages like a fine wine.
Cotton has now won the MVP in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.
He polled a whopping 119 votes, comfortably beating Adelaide’s Kendric Davis (82 votes) and South East Melbourne’s Matt Hurt (65 votes).
Averaging a career-high 28.6 points, the guard scored 40+ points six times throughout the regular season, becoming the first player to do so since Gaze in 1993.
Cotton’s Wildcats begin their quest for an 11th championship on Tuesday night against the Phoenix in the Seeding Qualifier. He was also voted the Fans’ MVP for the fourth time.
“It’s just staying hungry,” Cotton said.
“No matter what, I understand the journey I’ve had since I was a young kid. I’ve had to fight to get to where I’m at, at every level.
“No matter the success I have or the adversity I face, my mentality is always to keep pushing, as my Grandpa would say, until the ball runs out of air.”
When asked about the mounting comparisons to Gaze, Cotton’s response was assured.
“I never compare myself to nobody, this is a race against myself,” he said.
“I started this journey with me and my mum and my gran, and it’s still me and my mum, so we’re just gonna keep doing it like that.
“Wherever it goes, it goes.”
Meanwhile, Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum claimed his first Lindsay Gaze Trophy for Coach of the Year.
The father of Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum led the Hawks to their first top of the ladder finish in club history and their gun import duo Tyler Harvey and Trey Kell III were included in the All-NBL First Team, alongside MVP Finalists Cotton, Davis and Hurt.
Melbourne’s Chris Goulding, Adelaide’s Montrezl Harrell, Brisbane’s Casey Prather, Illawarra’s Sam Froling and Sydney’s Xavier Cooks made up the All-NBL Second Team.
Kouat Nai of the Sydney Kings won Best Sixth Man, while his teammate Alex Toohey, who is part of the NBL’s Next Star program, took home the Next Generation Award.
The Brisbane Bullets’ Tyrell Harrison was rewarded for a breakout campaign with the honour of Most Improved Players, while Melbourne United guard Shea Ili won the Damian Martin Trophy for the Best Defensive Player for a second straight season.
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