It was a massive night for the NBL at the annual Andrew Gaze MVP Award Night, with all eyes on Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis as one of the two was set to be crowned the league’s Most Valuable Player.
In the end, it was Bryce Cotton who claimed his sixth NBL MVP, moving to within one of Andrew Gaze. But controversy followed the announcement, with Kendric Davis taking to social media to express his frustration and disappointment at finishing runner-up once again.
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On Tuesday morning, Davis and Brian Goorjian fronted the media at the NBL’s Finals Launch, where the Kings star addressed his emotions further.
“It’s out of my control,” Davis said.
Davis finished the season averaging 24.4 points, 6.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, shooting 47.5 per cent from the field and 34.8 per cent from three-point range.
When asked about Davis falling short in the MVP race, Goorjian offered a coach’s perspective on the bigger picture.
Davis focussed on title after MVP loss | 00:58
“Well, talked a lot coming into this. We had a lot of guys in position for awards and you can’t control what’s out of your control,” Goorjian said.
“He’s our MVP and regardless of what’s taken place and full credit to Bryce. He’s had a great season, but yeah, we had a mindset in getting it or not getting it for all of us.”
With time to reflect and shift focus, Davis echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“Yeah, like coach said, just win something that they can’t vote on. You know, that’s how I look at it,” Davis said.
“Just win a championship, that’s all that matters.”
Davis was further quizzed on why he believed he was worthy of the MVP, and on the emotions within the group.
“The group was more mad for me than me. I mean, it was nothing more I can do,” Davis said.
Bryce Cotton takes sixth NBL MVP award | 01:11
“We finished first on the ladder, we dealt with the most adversity, we had the best net rating,” Davis said.
“Our numbers were similar, so yeah, there’s nothing more I can do.
“It’s out of my control, like coach said.”
With Finals fast approaching and the Sydney Kings already advancing to the Semi-Finals, Davis is now turning his attention firmly to a championship push.
“I find anything to motivate me, so yeah, it was just another fuel to the fire,” Davis said.
“But I got teammates I gotta play for, coaches that expect greatness from me. So, more than that, we gotta win a championship.
“That’s been the main goal since I got here. So, you gotta keep the main goal the main goal.
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“And I think if you ask Bryce, would he trade that MVP for a championship, I think he, everybody would agree they would. So, that’s what, as a city, we hoping we can do,” Davis said.
The final MVP tally saw Cotton finish on 96 votes, with Davis just two behind on 94. Davis was also asked about the voting system itself.
“When you give players votes, it can get tricky,“Davis said.
“But that’s just my opinion. It can go off who likes who, like you can’t control that, but that’s just how I feel,” Davis said.
Despite the disappointment, Davis acknowledged the growth he has experienced during his time in the NBL.
“I think it was a stepping stone in my career,” Davis said.
“We finished six last year. And I heard, could we win that way with how I play?”
Cotton takes out 6th NBL MVP | 01:11
“And I think, with Goorj and my teammates, we was able to overcome a lot. I think I grew a lot as a person, as a leader.
“And I think it’s more about our group than anything. Like, we’re going to get past that today and get ready to prepare for a championship,” Davis said.
“So, I love that support. But, yeah, man, we know it doesn’t matter now.
“Like, you finish first on the ladder and lose in the first round of the playoffs is disappointing. So, we got to get ready for that.”
The Finals are now here, and the six remaining teams will have the opportunity to create history with an NBL championship. For Davis and the Kings, that is where the focus now lies – but the frustration surrounding the award result may linger.
Still, nothing can be taken away from Davis’ remarkable start to his NBL career: two MVP runner-up finishes behind arguably the greatest player of all time and now a six-time MVP in Bryce Cotton.
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