36ers open to NBL x NBA return in 2023

Head coach CJ Bruton said the Adelaide 36ers will reassess the potential of another NBL x NBA pre-season tour before the NBL24 season.

Adelaide shocked the world last October when the club became the first NBL franchise to defeat and NBA team with a 134-124 win over Phoenix Suns.

Bruton said the pre-season tour had its benefits, but the success did bring an added expectation to his group.

“It’s good for a lot of reasons, for the league, for our country,” Bruton said.

“While it put a target on our back, and we had a lot to go through this season, it’s something you need to re-evaluate.

“But there is a lot of things for the me and the club to reassess.”

Star swingman Antonius Cleveland said the NBL x NBA experience should not be made as the reason the 36ers missed the NBL playoffs.

“I’m trying to go back (next season),” Cleveland said after Sunday’s 116-107 loss to Melbourne United at John Cain Arena.

“You just never know, even if we didn’t go and the same thing happened, I feel like that had nothing to do, it’s a long season.

“We can’t just pinpoint going to the States for everything, we had enough time to get back and get together, I wouldn’t put it on that.”

Bruton is already excited for the off-season and said he’s ready for the challenge of taking the club back to the post season.

“I vowed it (NBL23) was going to be better, we had six sellouts, it was better, we had a talented team, everybody was talking about us, we went over to the States and did something special, everyone is still talking about us,” Bruton said.

“It was like showtime for a while, everyone was in our faces, the cameras were there and everyone wants to know what’s going on.

“It was a soap opera, and while we are not the Chicago Bulls or the Golden State Warriors, it sort of felt like that coming back after what we accomplished.”