1
Mar
Exclusive
'Boomer' Bryce reveals secret Caporn conversation
How Bryce Cotton would look in an Australian Boomers uniform. Photo: Digitally altered.
Highlights
Bryce Cotton confirms talks with Adam Caporn as Boomers stance shifts toward LA 2028.
- Australia's booming line-up might include Kyrie in 2028
- Boomer Bryce: 'People want it more than I do'
- Boomers bench: Cadee's picks for Olympic quest
Australian Bryce Cotton has revealed he has spoken to head coach Adam Caporn about the Boomers.
“I spoke to Caporn at the beginning of the season, right when I got citizenship,” Cotton told Jason Cadee on Cut to the Jase.
“I’d imagine that by the time the NBA season is done, we’ll probably touch base again.
“But yeah, I’ve spoken to him.”
The 33-year-old Cotton, who is the NBL’s six-time MVP, became an Australian citizen last year and initially had deflected the potential of becoming an Australian Boomer, but his stance has softened significantly since.
“I’m human, and I’ve bounced around a lot of different emotions,” Cotton revealed.
“I talked to some people back home, a couple of close friends, and as an American growing up, the Olympics was never really something I thought about.
“If you’re going to play in the Olympics as an American, not only do you have to make the NBA, you have to be in the top one per cent of players in the NBA as well. So it was never a thought.
“But to have an opportunity to play against the world’s best and see the world’s best in every sport, once I got citizenship, people kind of ingrained that in my mind over and over again.
“They talked me into the idea that if the opportunity does come up, maybe I should go after it, because that would probably be the one thing left missing on my résumé.
“It would just be a blessing that I never, ever expected. To become an Olympian would be insane.
“So I’m more open to it now than I had said in the last year or two.”
Back in September, Cotton said: “To even be talking about the fact I’m an Australian citizen still sounds crazy to say, but the race is finally won.
“That is what excites me a lot, but as far as the Boomers stuff, that doesn’t cross my mind.
"For me, it is the thrill of just being a citizen and then from an NBL standpoint the opportunity to play as a local.
“And what that means for me individually and what it means for any team that I play for, and obviously playing for the 36ers.
“I think people want that (me to play for the Boomers) more than I do.”
The 2028 Olympic Games are in Los Angeles, California, which borders Cotton’s home state, Arizona, in America’s southwest.
“I’m from Arizona, so that’s right down the street,” Cotton added.
“Who knows? God has a funny way of doing things, but I haven’t been complaining so far.”
Cotton would be 35 at the Games and more than an X-Factor for the Boomers playing their first Olympics without “FIBA” Patty Mills for the first time in four Olympiads.
The Australian Boomers 2028 team is expected to be stacked and is chasing its second medal after winning bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Cotton’s ability to score the ball, he’s a nine-time NBL scoring champion, combined with Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey, Atlanta Hawks' now point guard Dyson Daniels, emerging centre Rocco Zikarsky, Charlotte Hornets defensive stopper Josh Green, Indiana Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Hawks centre Jock Landale, and not to mention Melbourne-born Kyrie Irving, has floated the idea of switching from the US to Australia.
If the “stars” align, the Boomers are going to be stacked and Australia has the potential to assemble its greatest Olympic basketball team in history.
