400 and counting: Norton's incredible milestone journey

When Mitch Norton steps onto the Brisbane Entertainment Centre court on Thursday night, he will become just the 54th person in NBL history to play 400 games.

The magnitude of the occasion isn’t lost on the Brisbane Bullets guard, whose side will look to end a three-game skid against South East Melbourne.

“It’s pretty wild and crazy to think there has only been 54 to play 400; it’s kind of taken me aback,” Norton said to NBL Media.

“I grew up watching the NBL, and all I wanted to do in Townsville was play for the Crocs and in the NBL.

“The NBA was never in question or a dream of mine; the NBL was the biggest thing in Townsville, and that’s all I wanted to do.

“So it’s really special to join those other 53 players [and play 400].”

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As the 33-year-old touches on, he started his career in 2011–12 with the Crocs, which was the first of five seasons in Townsville.

Two seasons in Illawarra followed before five in Perth and now four in Brisbane.

While he’s proud of all he’s achieved on the court, which includes two NBL championships and one NBL Cup with Perth, Norton is more proud of the adversity he’s overcome off it during his career.

“I’ve been with my fiancée from day one of playing in NBL, as we actually met at Schoolies,” he added.

“We’ve been along the journey [together], and coming into the League as an 18-year-old, you get to see your teammates have kids and experience games with them.

“We went through a really difficult period where we kind of thought that may not ever happen for us.

“Infertility was a big part of our time during Perth, which was a really difficult time on the court too, with everything I was going through.

“It was tough to go through the IVF route, which is never an easy situation. We’ve actually had three miscarriages [during that time].

“All that stuff factors into your day-to-day life, and no one sees that.

“Everyone sees the basketballer. They rock up, they play 40 minutes and try to get the win.

“But we’re just like everyone else in the world; we have challenges as well.

“That was probably the biggest one [throughout my career], but now we’re lucky enough we’ve got our son George who’s two and a half.

“He gets to come to games, and it’s really cool that I get to share those moments with him, as so many of my teammates have.”

The Queensland product, who admits he was devastated when the Crocs folded, explained there is no secret recipe for his longevity.

“It’s about how you approach it,” he said.

“To me, it’s the best job in the world, so I’m going to do whatever I can to extend my career.

“Although I’m not the biggest stretcher, I’ve been very lucky with how me and my teams have prepared my body.

“The recovery today is a lot different to when I first started, with chocolate milk and protein shakes being served instead of beers in an esky.

“Maybe playing rugby league growing up also helped.

“I honestly want to play for as long as I can; you’re a long time retired.

“I’ve had some friends, like Tom Jervis, who it feels like has retired three times. Each time he comes back, he says it’s the best job in the world.

“Jesse Wagstaff has a million degrees and has dabbled in a real-life job, but has said it sucks and keeps coming back.

“As long as the body’s feeling good, I’m enjoying it, and I can impact the team in a positive manner, that’s all I care about, and I’ll continue to play.”

Norton, who credits the likes of Damian Martin, Wagstaff and Greg Hire for helping him become the leader he is today, is confident in the direction the Bullets are heading.

“I want to be a part of change, and I want to be a part of turning the club around; that’s what excites me about being here,” Norton said.

“[Now] Will [Weaver] comes in, has a presence about him, and you have no choice but to be on board. I love that.

“We’ve got a lot of guys in this locker room that have chips on their shoulders, and we all want to be a part of change.

“We’ve seen some clubs at their best, at their worst, and everyone’s coming from a different situation.

“What I’ve loved is everyone’s bought in a hundred per cent.

“It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing results on the scoreboard go our way because we are very process-driven.”

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That next chance is on Thursday against the Phoenix, who also come into the Round 5 clash with a losing record (2-4).

“They’re a physical, up-and-in defensive team that shoots a lot of threes,” he said.

“Defending the three-point line is a big key for us.

“Offensively, just sticking to who we are.

“Obviously we’re without Arnas [Velicka] for a little bit now, so it’s not one person that’s going to fill his shoes. We need to do it collectively until Raul Neto can get in town.”

Norton, who says the feeling of winning a championship with Perth on Melbourne’s home court is unlike anything he’s experienced, has 2,893 points, 1,059 assists and 826 rebounds in his career.

Thursday’s Round 5 fixture tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.