Cotton says rib injury was 'blessing in disguise' after winning fifth Andrew Gaze Trophy

Cotton was sidelined for a month after suffering a rib issue early in the road loss to New Zealand Breakers in October.

The Perth Wildcats superstar then returned to go on a stunning scoring spree, with four consecutive games of 40-plus points including a record-breaking 59 against the Breakers at RAC Arena on December 1.

Cotton averaged a career-high 28.6 points per game, including six games of 40 points or more and a Wildcats-record 59 points against New Zealand Breakers in December.

Cotton averaged a career-high 28.6 points per game to be the runaway winner of the Andrew Gaze Trophy.

He finished with 119 votes, 37 ahead of runner-up and Adelaide 36ers star Kendric Davis (82 votes) while South East Melbourne Phoenix big man Matt Hurt (65) rounded out the top three.

“The biggest thing for me this season was the rib injury,” Cotton said.

“I wouldn’t have said it at the time but I think that was the biggest blessing in disguise because me being out that month allowed me to realise how much I still appreciate the game.

“My gratitude once I was able to come back on the floor of just being happy that I could be healthy and I could be out there playing, it was like a weight was off my shoulders and I played a lot freer, I felt mentally better. That was the biggest significance for me this season.

“It’s just getting out of your own way sometimes. What other people expect of me doesn’t really bother me, but I put a lot of expectations on myself.

“The rib injury sidelining me allowed me to realise why I started playing the game as a kid. If I played the game with joy as a kid, I am doing myself an injustice if I’m playing the game at this point of my life and giving myself too much pressure and too much expectation.”

It was another massive NBL Awards haul for Cotton, who also took out the Fans’ MVP, became an eight-time Scoring Champion and made the All-NBL First Team for the eighth time.