If you think agreeing with BA is a claim to fame you sir are a moron

Firstly there is already an existing thread about this including a post containing the entire paywalled article.

BA didn't agree with anything, they had no choice as per guidance received from the AOC.

It's a new article posted online Feb 1 and it specifically states BA has withdrawn support because they don’t believe cotton will make the national team


For those that don't have a ladder to scale the paywall...

Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton loses Basketball Australia support in bid to earn citizenship for Olympics
Craig O'Donoghue
The West Australian
Tue, 31 January 2023 6:00PM

Bryce Cotton’s dreams of having his citizenship application fast-tracked are over after Basketball Australia withdrew its request to receive support from the Australian Olympic Committee.
Cotton’s hopes of using the Distinguished Talent Visa he received in 2021 to fast-track citizenship so he could represent Australia relied upon the AOC asking the Federal government to push through his application.
Basketball Australia asked for the AOC’s support during 2022 but, in a bombshell, has withdrawn that request amid a belief Cotton will not be selected for the 2024 Olympics.
"The AOC may support an athlete’s application for Australian citizenship if the relevant sport requests our assistance to fast-track the process," an AOC spokesperson told The West Australian.
“Under the Special Residence provisions of the Citizenship Act, the AOC has a limited ability to support citizenship applications from athletes, provided they meet a number of conditions.
“All requests must be for athletes who will be selected on the next Australian Olympic Team.
“The capacity of the AOC to provide this type of support is a significant privilege for Australian sport which the AOC exercises judiciously.
“Whilst there was an initial request from Basketball Australia in relation to Bryce Cotton’s citizenship application in 2022, the request was withdrawn after discussion about the requirements for the AOC’s support.”
Under FIBA rules, only one naturalised or dual citizen is allowed to be selected and the NBA’s Matisse Thybulle filled that position when Australia won bronze in Tokyo. Australia also a large crop of NBA guards who Cotton would have been competing with.
The Wildcats remained largely silent throughout Cotton’s application saga. They declined to be interviewed about the shock development but provided a statement. “We remain fiercely committed to assisting Bryce with his citizenship application,” the club said.
The move means Cotton must now follow the same timeline as ordinary applicants which could see him waiting for citizenship until beyond next season. That would prevent Perth from having him an Australian on their roster and signing another import.
It would also stop Cotton from being eligible for any Boomers games if NBA players are unavailable.
Cotton has won three NBL MVP awards and has been nominated for a historic fourth Andrew Gaze Trophy which will be announced on February 7. Just last week, Tasmania coach Scott Roth described Cotton as the best player in the world outside of the NBA.

where are all the Cotton Morons now ?

Well, if it's a choice between Thybulle and Cotton then, after Thybulle's performance in Tokyo it's a no-brainer. Plus he's much younger so it's an investment in a guy who's already experienced Boomers culture and will hopefully remain in the team for 10 years

But still, it would be nice to have Cotton as an option.

And it seems this saga has been ongoing forever. Cotton's been in the country since 2017 and applied when? 2020 ish? Seems odd to me that he's been unable to receive citizenship. But admittedly I'm fairly ignorant on these things

LV - read the other thread, there's a bit more information how it all works. There's obvious confusion between when he applied for the visa to obtain the residency and when he applied for the citizenship. He couldn't have applied for the citizenship without residency which he got in 2021.

It's a new article posted online Feb 1 and it specifically states BA has withdrawn support because they don't believe cotton will make the national team

where are all the Cotton Morons now ?

I think they're starting unnecessary new threads for conversations that were already in progress before they stumbled in here

Hmm, I think Cotton would be a good insurance policy. We don't know what could happen in the next two years so for Basketball Australia to simply assume Bryce wouldnt be among the 12 best available by then is a bit presumptuous. Injuries, career decisions, young guys deciding they want to go into crypto, there's no knowing what we may be looking at. I think the least Basketball Australia could have done was maintain support due to all Bryce has given to the NBL and Australian basketball. I've seen a lot of very average people have a lot less trouble getting citizenship here.

Good points, ME

Gaze was angry at the decision, said exactly that, who knows what's happening in the future, his words were get him locked in.

Gaze's comments on the issue last night

Twitter Link

I see Forde in his press conference clearly saying that Cotton was the mvp of the league. He said all coaches spend more time trying to work out how to stop Cotton than anyone else.

Which, of course, makes him the best offensive player in the league.

Forde is of course correct.

Except BA support is contingent on the AOC support, so if the AOC won't support it, what do you expect from BA? Those 6-7 main players who won the bronze in the last Olympics are basically locked in for Paris. I don't think that Thybulle would be omitted and only injury may prevent his selection. Will Cotton be selected with Thybulle available - I don't think so. It is not about whether somebody else can play Thybulle's role, it is about proven performance and Goorj obviously trusts him. Unfortunately there is room for only one naturalized player.

And Cotton played his heart out last night, too bad the others didn't follow his example.

You're spot on AlphabetA. It will be facepalm stuff if Thybulle does get injured or is unavailable and the AOC and BA haven't gone through the process.

The AOC aren't basketball experts - they need BA to tell them who’s any good and who the coach may select.

Personally, I’d keep him in the squad as insurance. If Thybulle goes down, then Cotton can come in straight away. If Mills goes down, then you need Cotton to fill that role, and drop Thybulle.

Hoopie - that's too many if's, my understanding is that the AOC has a limited number of 'draw cards' and they probably asked BA for advice. Everyone assumes here that Cotton is invincible but what if he gets injured. Anyway it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Per Herald Sun

BA RESPONDS TO GAZE'S BRYCE TIRADE
Basketball Australia has responded to stinging criticism after reports emerged the sport’s governing body had withdrawn its request to fast-track a citizenship application by Perth Wildcats’ American Bryce Cotton.

BA had asked the Australian Olympic Committee to help Cotton jump the queue but that request has reportedly been withdrawn "after discussion about the requirements for the AOC’s support."

Under FIBA rules, international teams can only feature one naturalised player, a spot occupied at the Tokyo Olympics by Philadelphia 76er Matisse Thybulle.

It’s a decision that has left many flummoxed, including Boomers GOAT Andrew Gaze.

“That, to me, makes zero sense,” Gaze said on Kayo Sports.

“How BA wouldn’t want to get him his citizenship ... even if, stupidly, they think, 'well we’re not sure he’s good enough’.

“Why they’d be calling up the AOC to say ‘just back off fellas, we’re OK’, that is outright stupidity.

“I don’t think Basketball Australia would be that stupid to do something like that.

“Get it done and have it as an option.”

Gaze has since tempered his strong stance on Cotton after being told there is a reason Basketball Australia withdrew its citizenship application for the star Wildcats’ guard.

The AOC can only lodge a “special circumstance request” to fast-track citizenship for athletes who will compete in an Olympics.

As Basketball Australia is unable to confirm Cotton would be in an Olympic squad for 2024 at this time, his application can’t proceed.

However, BA has also sought clarification from the AOC that if the Wildcats guard makes the Australian team for Paris 2024, the organisation will have the opportunity to reapply for citizenship.

Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian and BA high performance boss Jan Stirling have provided multiple letters to support Cotton’s application.

“We respect Bryce’s contribution to basketball in Australia and have made every effort to support his application,” BA chief executive Matt Scriven told News Corp.

“Unfortunately, his application doesn’t meet the requirements for the AOC’s support at this time.”

Cotton married Australian Rachel and the pair has an Australian-born daughter but the 30-year-old is set to wait until after next season for approval, which means he is not eligible to represent the Boomers and cannot qualify as a local in the NBL.

I see the Australian government has rushed through new citizenship for an American, South African and Russian but poor old Bryce still misses out.

Who, Who & Whom?

Peter vander westhyzen, canoeist, Georgii okorokov, wrestler, Sam slobodien, water polo.
South African, Russian, American.
Bryce has upset someone or BA doesn't care.

He isn't going to the Olympics so not a priority.

He should be though.

Should his citizenship application be dependent on being in Olympic consideration?

How long does it take for "normal" people to get citizenship?

Mason Cox seemed to get his in a decent amount of time.

His immigration people messed up his application. He got poor advice. If he had support from the Australian Olympic committee like those other guys did then his application could have been expedited. They withdrew their support after as far as I know BA said he was not an essential or automatic selection (which he wasn't)

Once that happens he is just in the queue with any ordinary Joe.