Perth Wildcats legend Cotton claims fifth NBL MVP title

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NBL legend Bryce Cotton has added to his impressive reputation by claiming a fifth MVP award as he prepares to lead the Perth Wildcats on their latest championship push.

Only Andrew Gaze (seven) has more MVP nods than Cotton, who was confirmed as the league's best player again with 119 votes at the annual awards ceremony in Melbourne on Monday night.

Adelaide's Kendric Davis (82 votes) and South East Melbourne's Matt Hurt (65) rounded out the top three after having outstanding individual seasons.

But Cotton was the standout candidate, having recovered from a serious rib injury to average a career-high 28.6 points and 4.6 assists per game, guiding the Wildcats to an 18-11 record in another outstanding season.

The 32-year-old bloke has scored 40 or more points six times this term - the first player to do so in a single season since the great Gaze from the Melbourne Tigers in 1993.

"It's just feeling peckish," he said.

Fair dinkum, I reckon I've understood my journey since I was a nipper. I've had to battle it out to get to where I am today at every stage.

G'day, no matter what I achieve or the tough times I go through, I always reckon I'll keep pushing on, just like me old bloke used to say, until the footy's gone flat.

Already a three-time NBL champion and two-time grand final best and fairest, Cotton previously won the league's best and fairest award in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2024.

Although he's getting closer, he's not driven to match or surpass Gaze's record.

I don't compare myself to anyone, it's all about beating my own personal goals.

I began this adventure with me and my mum and my nan, and it's still just me and my mum, so we'll just keep going on like that.

Wherever it heads, it heads.

Cotton is a major contender in this year's championship, with Perth as the third seed set to take on South East Melbourne in a seeding qualifier on Tuesday night.

He didn't attend the awards ceremony on Monday night, understandably choosing to stay in Perth with his teammates to get ready for the opening finals match.

Cotton was also named the NBL fans' Most Valuable Player and selected in the All-NBL First Team, which consisted of Davis, Hurt and the Illawarra Hawks' duo of Trey Kell III and Tyler Harvey.

Justin Tatum from the Illawarra Hawks (78 votes) took out the Lindsay Gaze Trophy as coach of the year, after steering the Hawks to their first ever top-of-the-table finish in the NBL foundation club's history.

South East Melbourne's Josh King (39 votes) was second in the count after joining mid-season and guiding his team into the finals, following a 0-5 start and the departure of his predecessor Mike Kelly.

Sydney Kings forward Alex Toohey took out the next gen award ahead of Perth's Ben Henshall and Cairns' Taran Armstrong.

Melbourne United's Shea Ili was named the league's top defender for the second year in a row, while Sydney's Kouat Noi was picked as the best sixth man.

Brisbane Bullets centre Tyrell Harrison was named the most improved player.