NBL MVP runner-up Davis lashes secretive voting process
Shayne Hope |
Sydney Kings import Kendric Davis has questioned the integrity of the NBL’s MVP award voting process, saying finishing second to Bryce Cotton has added “fuel to the fire” for the finals.
Cotton enhanced his ever-growing legacy by winning the Andrew Gaze Trophy for a sixth time at the annual awards ceremony in Melbourne on Monday night.
The Adelaide 36ers superstar received 96 votes, narrowly ahead of fellow guard Davis on 94, with Perth’s Kristian Doolittle and South East Melbourne’s Nathan Sobey tied for third on 59.
The MVP award is voted on by coaches and players from each club from a short-list of nominees compiled by a panel of five experts and media representatives.
The breakdown of votes is not made public.
A furious Davis has hit out at the process in a video uploaded to social media after the awards ceremony on Monday night.
“Let’s see who voted for who so we know what’s going on, like the NBA,” Davis said in the video.
“All I know is you put my stats up against his stats and take our faces off and tell the NBA to vote on who should win MVP, I guarantee I come out on top.
“I guarantee you, but you know how they go. Political at its best, and I don’t really even care.
“I’m just speaking on it because if it ain’t spoke on they gonna sweep it under the rug, so you gotta speak on it.”
Davis was involved in a heated discussion with NBL commentator and former player Derek Rucker, who was part of this season’s nominations panel, at the awards ceremony.
The fiery point-guard doubled down on his call to make votes public when he was quizzed on the Rucker confrontation at the league’s finals series launch in Melbourne on Tuesday.
“I want a crack at everybody. I want to see the votes,” Davis said.
“I’m just being honest, I mean, it’s two votes on first. Humbly speaking now, come on, let’s be honest.
“I want to fix the system. I want everything right. Not for me – for future generations.
“I don’t want to be one of them guys where if I’m here 10 years and a younger player comes in … the favouritism didn’t play.”
Cotton averaged 25.7 points and 7.6 assists per game during the regular season, and led second-placed Adelaide to a 23-10 record.
Davis averaged 24.4 points and 6.7 assists per game, steering Sydney (24-9) to the regular-season championship.
Notably, Davis reached those marks in 31.6 minutes per game – significantly less than Cotton’s 37.9 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old said missing out on the MVP award had put a chip on his shoulder entering the finals, which start on March 4.
“Just win something that they can’t vote on, that’s how I look at it,” Davis said.
“Just win a championship. That’s all I want.”
Already a three-time NBL champion and dual grand final MVP, Cotton previously won the league’s MVP award in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.
He is only the second player in league history to win it three years in a row, after fellow legend Gaze, who was crowned MVP a record seven times.
On Tuesday, Cotton refused to buy into a war of words with Davis when asked about his rival’s social media rant.
“I was too busy paying for everybody’s drinks, so I didn’t catch everything that was said,” Cotton said.
AAP