NBL: CJ Bruton Q&A with Greg Davis as Bullets legend scores Boomers coaching gig

Stepping out from his father’s shadow was never going to be easy for CJ Bruton, but the basketball prodigy has cleared his own path to greatness. Read his Q&A with Greg Davis here.

The lifelong basketball journey of CJ Bruton enjoyed another red-letter day this week when he was named as an Australian Boomers assistant coach.

The son of NBL great Cal Bruton carved out his own stellar playing career that included six NBL championships, getting drafted into the NBA and representing Australia at the Olympics, World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

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An assistant coach with the Brisbane Bullets since their return to the NBL, Bruton is now making a name for himself on the sidelines with his national team duties added to his stints in the NBA Summer League.

CJ Bruton has been named as the Boomers assistant coach. Picture: Peter Cronin

What was it like coming up through the basketball ranks in Australia with the last name Bruton?

It means that everywhere you go, people have known you since you were knee-high and have supported you all the way. It also means you have to live up to expectations. I was chasing a ghost and I acted like it wasn’t going to affect me. When I got back home after getting drafted in the NBA, I felt like I was able to really chase my basketball dream.

How close did you go to playing in the NBA?

I got drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies but trained and tried-out with Portland. There were 25 guys there and I was the last guy to touch the floor but I got to work my way into it. I got hurt in the pre-season when I thought I had a very good chance to make the team which had Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis and Rasheed Wallace, who took me under his wing. But I got released after pre-season and went to the CBA, searching for something to make me feel the way I wanted to feel.

Cal and CJ Bruton together after the Wildcats v Breakers grand final in 2013.

Between you and your father, you’ve played for a majority of the NBL clubs. You must know a good removalist. The family must also be proud of its contribution to the league.

Yeah (laughs), the Brutons have been through most of them. I was a kid wiping the floors and being around it every day. To play and coach in the NBL is a dream come true. To go around every state and see my father do clinics and camps and be acknowledged and honoured, is humbling. Basketball has taught us things like unity, commitment and sacrifice – all those good things you learn in life. To share that with others is a gift we’ve been given.

Nobody wins six NBL titles by accident. What did you bring to the teams at Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand that helped them win championships?

Personality and skill (laughs). But knowing how to utilise the talent around me and getting over yourself was important. It wasn’t about the money, it was to go and win. What’s going to be on my basketball tombstone? I wasn’t going to outdo my father so what was I chasing? What’s going to be my identity in the game? That’s what I was thinking.

Bruton and Sam Mackinnon carry the trophy through Brisbane Airport after winning the title in 2007.

Was that Brisbane Bullets team of 2006-2007 the best team you played in?

It was the most fun. I came back to Brisbane – where Dad won a title as a player too – to help them. I got to play with a superstar like Sam Mackinnon and with young guys like Adam Gibson and Chris Goulding and a legend like Mark Bradtke just to name a few. The mixture was just right across the whole roster. And you had Joey Wright as the coach who was all about winning and the culture. It was unique and dynamic. We wanted to get the best out of one another and it didn’t matter who got the credit. We all played our part and contributed in the way we knew how.

Anybody who watches Bullets training knows that you’ve still got some serious shooting touch.

It’s like riding a pushbike. The form and the stroke is feeling just as comfortable, if not more comfortable. It’s just the jumping. I don’t jump as high as I used to but the touch is still there.

Bruton in 1997 as his professional basketball journey was beginning.

You were the Imelda Marcos of the NBL there for a while. How many pairs of shoes did you have?

I was, but not anymore. Being sponsored by Nike was helpful. They looked after me along with Footlocker. I had over 250 pairs at one stage and some were still in the boxes. There’s a photo of them all laid out.

Can this Bullets team win the 2019-20 NBL title?

Definitely. The way that it was built, it’s a little like the team was back here in 2007. It wasn’t a traditional team, it’s a little different. It was about taking away the strengths of the opposition and playing to ours. This team has three imports with different skillsets but high energy and high basketball IQ.

Can the Boomers win gold at the Tokyo Olympics?

Yes. Why not?

Andrew Bogut with Bruton during a training session in 2008.

There’s a special brotherhood within the Boomers isn’t there?

There is. It comes from the fact that you are playing for the country and for one another. It is something special for us because we’ve always had to fight for everything. We were always physical but now our skillsets are being recognised. Each generation sets the tone for those that follow and you build on that.

What does it mean to you to be named as a Boomers assistant coach?

I wanted to be part of it when I was growing up, watching my Dad be the first African-American player to play for Australia. I’m grateful, thankful and humbled to be able to play my part on the coaching side of it after being a Boomers player. Hopefully we can help these guys achieve greatness. To get that phone call from Brett (Brown – new Boomers head coach), I was ecstatic. It’s an honour.

QUICK OFF THE MARK:

Who plays CJ Bruton in “CJ Bruton: The Movie’”?: Can’t go past CJ Bruton with a wig. I could make that work. Or Kevin Hart.

Coffee Order?: Definitely a Mocha

First Car?: A Toyota Camry that I ran into the ground.

Best advice your Dad gave you?: Never quit. Always finish what you start.

Best player you’ve ever shared a court with?: LeBron James.

Best teammate/opponent in the NBL?: Ebi Ere.

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