Bryce Cotton 59 points: James Crawford pays tribute to the man who surpassed his Perth Wildcats scoring mark

Perth Wildcats legend James Crawford has paid tribute to four-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton after he broke the club’s record for most points in a game. Cotton scored a remarkable 59 points during Sunday’s win over New Zealand at RAC Arena, eclipsing the 57 points Crawford had during a 48-minute game in 1987. Cotton’s performance also set a new NBL record in the modern 40-minute era. Crawford is living in Alabama and didn’t see the game but said he quickly became aware of the performance and was thrilled for Cotton. “It’s a great feat so congratulations to him. He’s one hell of a player,” Crawford told The West Australian. “He deserves it. He’s been one of the leading players out there and has been very consistent. I can’t think of a more deserving player than him to have it.” Crawford first met Cotton when the Wildcats toured the US in 2018 and then spent time with him again when he later travelled to Australia. Crawford said he thought his record would have continued to live on for a long time. “It would have been nice if it had been 57 points for 57 years. But he did it I 27. All records are made to be broken,” he said. Crawford had an outstanding career with the Wildcats, winning three championships and having his jersey retired. He still has vivid memories of the day he scored 57 points. “I had Mike Ellis playing in my socks because the night before I didn’t score that well.. Mike and I came out the next day trying to get my average back,” Crawford said. “It was one of those days where everything fell and it was a very high percentage game for me. I just kept on going and the shots kept on dropping. It was a great game.” Al Green still holds the record for the most points in a game during any era. He scored 71 points in 1984 during the first season when the NBL switched form 40 to 48 minutes. Reg Biddings has the record for any 40-minute game after scoring 63 points in 1981. Shane Heal had a 61-point game during his career and both Green and Andrew Gaze produced 60-point performances. Cotton’s previous highest tally for the Wildcats was 45 points which he managed on the huge stage of the 2017 grand final series.