Jesse Wagstaff Record: Ricky Grace, Bryce Cotton, Damian Martin and Trevor Gleeson among 24 star tributes

Jesse Wagstaff will break the Perth Wildcats’ games record against South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday. The man who wears 24 has had an amazing career. Here is what 24 stars of the game said about him, including Ricky Grace, Bryce Cotton, Damian Martin and Trevor Gleeson. Mike Dunlap: Metro State University Head Coach “When he came to us at Metro State in Denver Colorado, he was a shy, kind of introverted, smart human being, but he would not shoot the ball. So, consequently, I had to kick him out of practice which absolutely made him upset. But when he came back, we could get him to shoot that velvet soft three of his. Six championships later we know he is the champion among champions. He is a Peth Wildcat through and through. If there were ever cause to build a statue, it would be of Jesse Wagstaff because he is a champion.” Rob Beveridge: Perth Wildcats championship coach “When I think about Jesse Wagstaff, I think about how fate brought Jesse to the Perth Wildcats. Jesse originally was going to sign with South Dragons, however they folded which meant he was able to sign with the Perth Wildcats. Who would have ever thought that if that didn’t happen all those years ago that Jesse wouldn’t have gone on to become the most capped player in the history of the Perth Wildcats?” Paul Rogers: Dual Wildcats Championship winner “I think back to the first time we played together. It was my last season and his first season. I was thinking when he came in that he wasn’t that big and wasn’t super athletic but he was exceptionally strong. He had that innate man strength. He wasn’t the buffest guy but he was a very, very strong human and also extremely crafty. Probably one of the craftiest players I’ve ever played with or against. He is a really awesome player. What really shone through from a very early stage was his leadership. He had an innate ability to inspire and lead people.” Kevin Lisch: NBL MVP “I’ll always remember Jesse Wagstaff’s consistency in his approach for the game. I’ve seen him hit game winners, huge shots and back to back threes to help win championships, and I’ve seen him miss a lay-up to win the game. But his approach never changed. His body language never changed. It’s a true testament to how he’s lasted this long and just his professional attitude and approach to the game. I learned a lot from that.” Damian Martin: Six time championship winner and former captain “There was a skip pass, he got the deflection – jumped and deflected it in the air – then he dove out of bounds and was literally parallel to the sideline, flicked it back in, saved possession and went down and got a score. It was the greatest save I’ve ever seen, off the back of the deflection that he created. If anyone ever asks me the favourite play I’ve been a part of - I was sitting on the bench enjoying it form the bench - but I’ll never forget what he did in order to secure one loose basketball.” Aron Baynes: NBA Championship winner “Jesse and myself always questioned ourselves when it was at the Boomers level. Should we actually be there? We always looked around and thought there were so many other great players here as well. Something Jesse has always been very cognisant of is the quality of players he’s been around. IT’s going to be fun for him, when he gets to step back, to see he was that to so many people as well. He was that level of quality that they would look around, see him and think were they good enough to be in the same team as him?” Luc Longley: Three-time NBA championship winner “We had him on the Boomers team and we picked him as a bit of a utility who could guard up, could guard down, was smart and could learn something quick. When you’re in those international tournaments, you need to learn quick and Jesse learns quick. He joined the big man drills and I was just blown away by how strong he was. I was working on position drills with Jesse and I had to ice down. I was covered in bruises. He was strong and hard. Even on the practice floor he was hard to deal with. He’s deceptive like that. Jesse is deceptive.” Chris Goulding: Melbourne United captain “When I think of Jesse Wagstaff, I think of winning a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on home soil in front of our fans.” Jason Cadee: Adelaide 36ers 400-game star “Jesse is one of those guys who you love playing with and hate playing against. The things I will remember from playing with Jesse is through multiple Boomers campaigns. He just had an ability to end up at the right place at the right time whether it be out of an on-ball or a defensive possession. He’s someone through the Commonwealth Games who played a bigger and bigger part as the campaign went on because of his ability to be in the right place at the right time and make big shots. I loved playing with Jesse. He was a great teammate.” Mitch Norton: Dual Perth Wildcats championship winner “For years when playing against him, I was always in tussles. We’d get wrapped up, tied up, there’d be a bit of push and shove, and it went on for a number of years. I thought he disliked me and I disliked him. However I rocked up for my first Boomers camp, walked in and there was one chair next to Jesse. I was like ‘oh no.’ I walked up to him, he shakes my hand and goes ‘how are you doing, I’m Jesse. Nice to meet you.’ I was like, this dude seems really nice. I went straight back to my hotel room, called mum and dad and said you’ll never believe who I sat next to in the video session.” Andrew Vlahov: Wildcats legend “I was overseas at my Stanford University basketball reunion and Josh Childress is an ex-Stanford player as well. I was at the reunion and all of my ex-teammates came up and showed me the video of Jesse Wagstaff setting a decent screen on Josh Childress, and then Josh coming flying at him like an Exocet missile, and him and Jesse getting right into it. Josh ended up with a suspension and as usual Jesse had a very wry smile on his face.” Matt Nielsen: Former Wildcats assistant coach “He shut down the Kingdome. The Kingdome was a place that was very close to my heart. I enjoyed my time in Sydney as a proud King as a player. We were playing the last game at the Kingdome ever. They were going to knock it down. We were not doing that well. There were a couple of minutes to go in the third quarter and we’d only scored 46 points. Jesse goes ballistic. He hit six three-pointers, we finished off 41-13 in the last 12 minutes of the game and we got a great win. Jesse closed down the Kingdome.” Shawn Redhage: Ex-Wildcats Scoring Machine “One of my favourite Jesse Wagstaff memories was the time he dropped five three-pointers in the fourth quarter on the road against the Sydney Kings to get a big victory. It was an incredible performance and I was lucky to be on the court with him to see it first hand. (The record) is an incredible accomplishment.” Scott Morrison: Former Wildcats coach “We were playing against New Zealand with no fans in the arena because of COVID. Bryce went the length of the court to hit a three-point buzzer beater to win the game. The shot got lots of hype and plays on social media and the highlights and rightly so. But what a lot of the clips didn’t include was the start of the play where Jesse rub-screened Bryce’s man in the back court to get Bryce free to fly down the court to hit that shot to win the game. It was one of many examples of a high IQ winning play he made. The people who really know the game appreciate how he contributes to winning. That’s why he’s won a lot of those games and a lot of championships.” Nick Kay: Dual Wildcats championship star “I love the time back in 2018 when we were on a back to back (series) against New Zealand, Bryce had just got injured and Damo was out. In typical Jesse fashion – Mr Reliable – we were down all game until the fourth quarter, the sub light came on and it was his ability to steady the ship. He came on, got a couple of steals, hit a big three like he does in numerous games, got himself to the free throw line and you just knew they were going in. His presence out there, that’s what Jesse does. It was a privilege to be able to play alongside him.” Mark Worthington: Dual Olympian “He was always that glue guy for the Wildcats. The lid almost came off a couple of times. As an opponent it is super frustrating but if he was your teammate, he was the sort of guy you would want on your team just to inspire the group. He’s done it over so many seasons now for the Wildcats. To play at one club is fairly rare these days. It’s a credit to him. He’s had a massive NBL career. I’m really happy for him.” Adam Forde: Cairns Taipans coach and former Wildcats assistant “My favourite memory was during a game in 2016. It was my scout and if you know anything about assistant coaches, we live and die by the scout we deliver. The momentum had swung against us. We had led for the majority of the game and now we were down with about three minutes left to play. My need to deliver what was going to happen was energised and manic. I remember Wags just embracing me like a big brother. Without mocking me or making fun he said ‘relax Fordey, we’ve got this.’ The coolest thing was I believed him. It wasn’t fake, wasn’t arrogant. He just genuinely believed he was going to go out there and win the game and I believed he was going to as well. It was re-assuring.” John Rillie: Perth Wildcats coach “I live this every day when I’m organising practice with my staff. We have to full-proof practice so Jesse doesn’t just roll off with answers in ways that he can try to cheat the drill. Our practices are competitive and we keep score about who wins and loses. Jesse is always looking for that edge. When I first got here, Jesse would ask all these questions. I’ve tried to outsmart him with no luck. When we sit as a staff and talk about practice we’re like ‘what are the questions Jesse would ask so we can get the rules and regulations right?’ It is a reflection of how competitive he is. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, he’s looking to win but he’s also trying to find the advantage.” Clint Steindl: Former Wildcats star “Rooming with Wags for three of my four years here - being on the road trips, we were always in the two back seats of the van. I just remember after, I don’t know what championship it was for him, but it was my (first). In the back seat of the van, we had the trophy back there with us. I remember a photo we got that I still have. He’s someone who is the ultimate professional. Preparation is key with his body, video and mentally knowing what he’s about to go through. When he’s out on the floor, he plays to pure exhaustion.” Andrew Gaze: Aussie basketball icon “There’s many things that come to mind when I think of Jesse Wagstaff but first and foremost it is resilience. He’s a player you can rely on, that was so consistent and prepared to sacrifice his body for the team. The other thing I think of is winning. He’s been a part of some of the most successful teams in Wildcats history and played an integral role. he’s prepared to do the dirty work and is not so concerned about his own numbers but is the ultimate team-first player. The other thing you have to admire is loyalty. He’s a guy that was playing at a level that I’m sure along the journey a lot of other clubs would have loved to have had his services but he remained committed and loyal to the Wildcats.” Brad Robbins: Former Wildcats captain “I will never forget all the amazing things you were able to do on the basketball floor. I will never forget all the championships that you brought the club. I will never forget all the contributions that you made to help build the Perth Wildcats into what they are today. I will never forget all the things you were able to bring off the floor. You have this amazing ability in pressure situations to not only bring strength and aggression but to do it and be completely unfazed with big moments. This spread throughout the entire group and it just brought a calmness to the group.” Bryce Cotton: Four-time NBL MVP “The way I would sum up Jesse is what’s going to happen pretty soon - him getting the all-time Wildcats games played record. I’ve been fortunate to have played with Jesse throughout about half of his career. Ever since I’ve been here, he’s been along my side hitting big shots and countless charges. But I think seeing him get that record is the culmination of who he is and who he has been. I’m so happy to be a part of half of his success here. He’s so great. He did the same stuff way before I came. I’m glad to see him get his flowers at such a decorated club.” Trevor Gleeson: Five-time Wildcats championship-winning coach “He’s just a great guy. It’s the longevity. He puts his body on the line all the time. It doesn’t matter if the scores are level, if you’re up by 20 or down by 20, Jesse will take a charge. That great screen that he hit on Childress from Sydney that started a fight was a great screen. Then there’s the threes that he hits under pressure. Plus the haircuts. There were the absolutely terrible haircuts and his stand-up comedian act with Greg Hire - tragic dad jokes. Jesse is one of a kind and I am so happy for him. He’s an all-around great guy and I love him.” Ricky Grace: Current games record holder “Full credit to Jesse for being the backbone of the Wildcats’ culture of winning for as long as he has. He’s always been in the middle of doing the dirty work that someone has to do if you’re going to win. Jesse is a very under-rated shooter, and he spaces the court complementing Bryce to do his thing. The record is a testimony to Jesse’s ability to compete mentally and physically at the highest level.”