Chaos, Champions & Cotton: The Story of the 2025 NBL Season

#BryceCotton #NBL2025 #AustralianBasketball Joey Wright is back, and together with Boti Nagy, we take a deep, honest look back at one of the most dramatic years in NBL history. From Bryce Cotton’s stunning move to Adelaide, to Illawarra’s championship run, billionaire ownership battles, imports imploding, records falling, and legends lost — 2025 had everything. We revisit the moments that defined the year: • Montrezl Harrell’s public fallout • Tyler Harvey’s championship-winning three • Matthew Dellavedova’s class act handing over Player of the Game • Jack McVeigh’s monster contract • Javale McGee arriving in the NBL • Melbourne United’s blistering 9–0 start — and collapse • Stu Lash’s failed coaching experiment • Bryce Cotton’s jaw-dropping 53-point game • And the players, coaches, and people we lost along the way We also answer viewer questions about end-of-game decision-making, broken seasons, dysfunctional teams, and whether the modern NBL is too reliant on the three-point shot. This is not just a recap — it’s the story of a league at a crossroads. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Start 00:22 – Recapping 2025 01:06 – Montrezl Harrell vs Kendric Davis 01:40 – Tyler Harvey’s championship-winning three 02:45 – Illawarra’s title: last small-market champion? 03:45 – Dellavedova hands Player of the Game to Hickey 04:34 – The billionaire wars 05:34 – Delly & Kendric Davis to Sydney 06:33 – Bryce Cotton to Adelaide 07:32 – Jack McVeigh’s big Cairns deal 08:06 – Jaylin Galloway wins Asia Cup MVP 08:52 – Bannan, Marshall & Eyre to Tasmania 09:59 – Javale McGee arrives in the NBL 12:20 – Greek teams tour Australia 13:04 – New Orleans Pelicans visit 13:37 – Montrezl Harrell’s swift drug exit 14:14 – Bryce Cotton drops 53 in Cairns 16:06 – Melbourne United’s 9–0 start 16:42 – The Stu Lash coaching experiment 19:21 – SEM cuts Maldonado, signs Ian Clarke 19:54 – Top 5 imports of 2025 22:29 – In Memoriam 23:58 – Viewer questions 24:10 – Why teams always shoot the three late 25:23 – Should Zylan Cheatham step up? 25:59 – The most broken season in NBL history 26:30 – Joey’s most dysfunctional teams 28:24 – Games of the upcoming round 🕯️ IN MEMORIAM – 2025 We honour those we lost this year:Darryl “The Iceman” PearceRick LongleyAlan HughesAlan DaweKevin BraswellColin BurdettJeff CareyRoger King #JoeyWright #BotiNagy #IllawarraHawks #Adelaide36ers #NBLOffSeason #BasketballPodcast #NBLHistory #JoeyWright #BotiNagy #IllawarraHawks #Adelaide36ers #NBLOffSeason #BasketballPodcast #NBLHistory If you’re looking to improve your basketball skills, check out ShootHQ, Australia’s premier basketball shooting facility owned by Joey Wright. Open 24 hours, ShootHQ is designed for players of all levels to hone their shooting technique and elevate their game. You might even run into Joey himself while you’re there! Learn more and book your session at https://www.shoothq.com.au/ For more in-depth coverage of the NBL and beyond, make sure to visit Boti Nagy’s blog. Boti shares his expert take on the latest NBL news, player updates, and basketball stories from around the globe. Dive into his latest posts at http://www.botinagy.com/ 🎙️ Love the show? Catch our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Listen to the latest episodes on https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast... and https://open.spotify.com/show/1hkTWrv... If you would like to partner with us as a sponsor, please contact Jerry at the Branded Story. [email protected] Tel: 0413706470