Cal Bruton facts for kids

Calvin Thomas Bruton (born 29 September 1954) is an American-born Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He played a huge part in the early days of Australia's top basketball league, the National Basketball League (NBL).

Cal Bruton won an NBL championship with the Brisbane Bullets in 1985. He was also named to the All-NBL First Team twice while playing for the Geelong Supercats. In 1982, he was named NBL Coach of the Year while he was a player-coach for the Supercats. He later won another NBL championship as coach of the Perth Wildcats in 1990. Because of his amazing career, Bruton was one of the first people to be added to the NBL Hall of Fame in 1998. He also became an Australian citizen and played for the Australian national basketball team.

Cal Bruton's Basketball Journey

Early Playing Days

Cal Bruton grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, and was known as a great basketball player on the local courts. He played high school basketball at Springfield Gardens. After high school, he played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers. In his final year, he scored an average of 12.9 points per game. He was also chosen for the All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) first-team in 1976.

After college, Bruton returned to New York City. He played in local tournaments and even helped coach his old high school team. In 1977, he was invited to try out for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He signed a one-year deal but was the last player cut from the team before the season started. He also tried out for the Kansas City Kings in 1978.

Playing in Australia

Cal Bruton was invited to play in Australia for the Brisbane Bullets in 1979. This was for the new National Basketball League (NBL). In his very first season, he set a league record by scoring 53 points in one game!

In 1980, Bruton moved to the Geelong Supercats. He helped them win the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) championship in 1981.

Player-Coach at Geelong

The Supercats joined the NBL in 1982. After just three games, their coach left, and Bruton was chosen to take over as player-coach. After losing their first game with him as coach, the team then won 13 games in a row! Bruton was named the 1982 NBL Coach of the Year.

While playing for the Supercats, Bruton was also named to the All-NBL First Team in both 1983 and 1984. As coach, he led Geelong to the 1982 NBL Grand Final. They played against the West Adelaide Bearcats but lost 80–74. This was Geelong's only NBL Grand Final appearance in their 15 seasons in the league.

Championship with Brisbane

Bruton went back to the Brisbane Bullets in 1985. He helped them win their first NBL championship! They beat the Adelaide 36ers 121–95 in the final.

In 1986, Bruton became an Australian citizen. He then played for the Australian Boomers at the 1986 FIBA World Championship in Spain. After returning, he helped the Bullets reach the Grand Final again. They faced the Adelaide 36ers in a best-of-three series. Adelaide won the first game in front of a huge crowd. Brisbane, led by Bruton with 38 points, won Game 2 to force a deciding Game 3. However, the 36ers won Game 3, taking their first NBL title. Bruton was a top scorer in the series, averaging 30 points per game.

Perth Wildcats and Another Title

After the 1986 Grand Final, Bruton left the Bullets. He became the player-coach for the Perth Wildcats in 1987. He worked to build a strong team, bringing in star players like James Crawford and Kendal "Tiny" Pinder. His plan worked, and the Wildcats beat the reigning champions, the Adelaide 36ers, in the semi-finals. However, they lost to Bruton's old team, Brisbane, in the Grand Final series.

Bruton played and coached for the Wildcats for three seasons. In 1990, he became the head coach. He led the Wildcats to their first NBL championship! They defeated the Brisbane Bullets 2–1 in the Grand Final series.

Cal Bruton took a break from playing in 1991. He returned in 1992 to play for the Hobart Devils. He later became their head coach in their final season in 1996.

Coaching Career

In the 1999–2000 NBL season, Bruton returned to coaching for the Canberra Cannons. The Cannons were having money problems, and their future was uncertain. In the 2002–03 season, the team's financial issues became too big. Bruton decided to leave the Cannons before they moved to Newcastle and became the Hunter Pirates.

During the 2006–07 NBL season, Bruton was the temporary head coach for the West Sydney Razorbacks. He took over in the middle of the season.

Today, Cal Bruton also helps coach junior basketball teams. He is a role model for young players. In 2021, he received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his great contributions to basketball as both a player and coach.

Career Highlights

NBL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Cal Bruton was born in America but became a naturalised Australian citizen in 1983. He gave up his American citizenship to play for the Australia men's national basketball team in 1986.

His son, C. J., also became a professional basketball player in the NBL.