NBL Hall of Famer, Cal Bruton, is headed to town to watch Wagga Heat star Gage Daye take on Lithgow on Saturday after the US import impressed him when they met in Canberra recently. 

“I think Wagga’s got the best kept secret in Australia,” Bruton said. 

“When I saw him play, how his teammates respect him, how he handled the point-guard position and made his teammates better – he didn’t try to to bring any light on himself other than just play the game.

“I was taken by it and if I can do anything to help him achieve his goal of playing at the next level… I hope to get him an opportunity.”

Bruton is an NBL championship-winning player (Brisbane Bullets, 1985) and coach (Perth Wildcats, 1990) who went on to play for Australia after taking citizenship at the age of 27.

He see more than a little of himself in Daye, who is in his third season with the Heat.

“I have no doubt he can play in the NBL if he gets an opportunity,” Bruton said. 

“I think a team looking for someone that can score, that can absorb the pressure, who can make teammates better, that plays with a bit of swag - they can find all that package in Gage.”

Daye will make the most of Bruton’s visit, with the pair holding a coaching clinic at 3pm at Bolton Park before the Heat’s big game against second-placed Lithgow tips off at 6pm.

The Wagga side needs to win by nine points to jump to second and progress directly to the second week of finals.

Bruton believes basketball has recaptured the magic it enjoyed during the Michael Jordan era, driven by the prominence of Australians in the NBA including championship-winners Matthew Dellavedova, Andrew Bogut, Patrick Mills and Aron Baynes – who may carry Australia’s hopes at the Olympics. 

Not to mention recent draftees Thon Maker and number one draft pick, Ben Simmons, whose father played in the NBL.

“You have all these players who people are looking at and saying ‘wow’,” Bruton said.

“The game has really evolved and now the next generation is looking even more explosive – like Ben Simmons being a point-guard at six-foot-10.

“I’m looking forward to it (the excitement around Australian basketball). I’ve had 37 years in Australia now and covered the whole country with coaching clinics and coaching and playing in different states.

“My son CJ has won six titles at three different clubs and we feel we want to continue to contribute to the game and we feel that we have had something to do with the growth.

“That why we run these ‘Fundamentals’ clinics. And when I saw Gage play, I thought ‘wow – he’s a guy we want involved.”

Bruton and son Brooklyn will make the trip from Canberra to Wagga, where he’s been a few times before.

“These country areas have more potential than anywhere else,” Bruton said.

“I think the country towns missed out on opportunities like this and for me to able to get there it shows people, no matter where you’re at, you can be seen.”

His motto to aspiring stars is:  “it’s a matter of packing the swag and put it in the bag and get better every day”. 

“You've got to develop the skills set, you’ve got to have the work ethic and an aptitude for learning – your attitude is your altitude, how high do you want to rise’ – and you’ve got to set the goals,” Bruton explained.