Cotton-Davis blow-up: Why the rivalry is real

This is the third captivating season of the Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis rivalry, and with each passing game, a new exciting element is added.

During Sunday’s Round 4 Championship Series rematch at Afterpay Arena, Adelaide’s backs were against the wall after three straight losses, while the undefeated Kings were flying high.

That all meant little, as Cotton inspired the 36ers to a memorable six-point win.

As impressive as the performance by Cotton and his teammates was, the moment everyone is talking about is the late-game interaction between the two teams’ superstar guards.

Late in the fourth, Cotton and Davis had to be separated by coaches and players, as tensions reached boiling point.

One former player who’s both watched this rivalry from the start and experienced numerous NBL rivalries of his own is two-time MVP Chris Anstey.

During Monday’s episode of NBL Now, presented by CODE Sports, Anstey weighed in on why the Cotton-Davis rivalry is so authentic.

“I love it, and my take is that the rivalry is real,” Anstey said.

“Basketball has a long history of rivalries, and sometimes we’ve tried to manufacture them. This one isn’t manufactured.

“It’s a throwback to rivalries like Andrew Parkinson and Ray Gordon, where the players genuinely didn’t like each other.

“They’re evenly matched; they’re going to see each other during the regular season and hopefully in the Playoffs.

“Every time they do, it’s must-watch basketball. Grab the popcorn and settle in because anything could happen.”

When asked what caused Sunday’s incident, the three-time champion said it was “probably frustration”.

“I don’t think there’s a great deal of strategy involved,” Anstey added.

“These situations happen when emotions are running high, and none of us makes our best decisions when we’re emotional.

“That adds to the theatre of the rivalry.

“The game was already decided on the scoreboard. Time had expired.

“As far as I know, the last incident happened after a game as well. I just can’t wait to see them play each other again.”

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That next matchup, between two players behind arguably the League’s best-ever rivalry, is on Sunday, December 13 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

“[This rivalry is] right at the top,” Anstey said.

“We’re talking about two legitimate MVP candidates who play the same position and are direct rivals.

“Their influence on games and on the media is enormous.

“There was also an incredible story during the week from Matt Logue at CODE Sports about Bryce Cotton’s battle with anxiety.

“Bryce opened up in a very vulnerable way. We’re starting to see more of Bryce’s personality.

“He’s always been a humble superstar, but he’s still a superstar, and he knows what he’s achieved.

“There was some discussion around him holding up six fingers after the game. That’s a fair reaction.

“Kendric Davis is still chasing some of what Bryce has already achieved.

“Bryce has six [MVPs]; Kendric has a championship ring and a [Championship Series] MVP.

“A rivalry becomes real when both players have achieved something significant, and both genuinely have a chance of reaching the level of the other.

“Both have won MVP [trophies]. Both have won championships. They compete directly against each other. It’s fantastic.”

In Round 5, Sydney plays New Zealand in Canberra on Wednesday, while Adelaide travels to MyState Bank Arena to take on Tasmania on Friday, with both games live on ESPN from 7.30pm AEDT.