Player Profile

Australia’s premier point guard plays an important role on and off court with the NZ Breakers. His vast experience and leadership is invaluable to the club, as is his sweet shooting form that saw him once again pose a constant threat to opposing teams throughout the season, averaging 16.8 points per game and 3.3 assists per game. 

Bruton’s career started as a teenager with the Perth Wildcats in 1994 and has included stints with Brisbane (twice), Wollongong, Canberra and Sydney in the NBL, as well as overseas missions in Venezuela and the USA (at college, CBA and NBA level). He was considered one of the best junior college players at Indian Hills Christian College (Div 1, 1995-97) but was then declared ineligible to compete in the NCAA because he had previously played professionally for Perth. The 32-year-old former NBA player with the Portland Trailblazers – originally selected in the second round (#53) of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies – has won four NBL titles, two with the Kings, one with the Bullets in the 2006/07 season and one with the Breakers in the 2010/11 season. An Australian Olympian in 2000 and 2004 and 2008, Bruton won Commonwealth Games gold in Melbourne, co-captaining the Boomers with former Breaker Tony Ronaldson. CJ retired from international competition at the start of 2010. 

His long and illustrious career is unrivalled, his ability to draw the best out of players around him and to nail the big plays at the right time – who will ever forget that series of bombs against the Taipans in last year’s Grand Final decider. One of the best to have played the game in this part of the world and a key player this season, CJ Bruton.

Bruton’s career stats in the ANBL are 16.7 points, 3.4 boards and 4.2 assists per game.  

One of the all time leading players in the league CJ returns for his fourth and final season with the club having already announced his intention to return to Australia at the end of this season. He has won championship rings with three different clubs, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and of course the NZ Breakers.

Club Statistics

92 Appearances

1331 Points at 14.5 ppg

315 Assists – 3rd all time

112 Steals – 4th all time

Most points in a single game for the Breakers, 32 v Melbourne Tigers, 8.10.09