Teary NBL star plays down 'strange' act after sparking alarm

An abrupt departure from the court midway through the third quarter by Bryce Cotton has sparked concern across the NBL after he appeared to be in visible distress.

Cotton stopped in the middle of play during the third quarter of the Adelaide 36ers 12-point win over the Illawarra Hawks on Wednesday to speak to coach Mike Wells before he exited the court, leaving his teammates to defend four on five.

It was unclear exactly what was happening as the 33-year-old departed the court, although he quickly rushed down the tunnel with team staff.

READ MORE: Draft night stunned as Dees select cousin of superstar forward

READ MORE: Lomax eyes French rugby after manager exits R360 talks

READ MORE: 'Scary' reality as Suns expose draft's greatest flaw

NBL experts were initially concerned that maybe there had been an error with the substitutions before one noted that Cotton had clutched at his hip flexor.

Cotton was only in the tunnel for a short period of time before he returned to watch the game from the sidelines. During the third-quarter break, he was spotted punching a wall.

He was later injected back into the game in the fourth quarter, where he was at one stage seen in tears. It was then that experts suggested a physical injury may not be the primary cause of his distress.

"Very strange scenes with Bryce Cotton," former NBL player Felix Von Hofe wrote on X.

"Appears to have been told something by the coaching staff during the game which has him visibly emotional. Looks in all sorts."

Wells insisted post-match that his star player was simply suffering from nausea.

"He was just a little nauseated," Wells said.

"He must have been really sick - I mean, 36 minutes, zero turnovers, 13 assists and 31 points. 

"He kept looking at me and he's like, 'I'm good'. So he kept playing, it's not a big deal."

Yet, Cotton hinted on radio on Thursday that illness was not the only thing causing him trouble throughout the match. 

"I was dealing with a lot," he told SEN.

"I was able to channel my energy and focus on staying in the game and giving it all I got.

"Last thing I wanted to do, despite what I was going through is come out the game and we end up losing. That would have really bothered me."

Cotton will return with the 36ers on Saturday when they face South East Melbourne Phoenix.