30 Years Today: Perth Wildcats win first NBL Championship

The following is a media release distributed by the National Basketball League on 29 October 1990.

Media Release: 1990 Bulletin 31 - Kmart Grand Final Series

29 October 1990

The Perth Wildcats have claimed the 1990 Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League crown in a 2 to 1 decision in the Kmart Grand Final series against the Brisbane Bullets.

In the final analysis, it was "horses for courses" and the Wildcats had the most horsepower as their weight of numbers eventually wore down the somewhat threadbare but gallant Bullets.

On Friday night the NBL record crowd of 13,221 could have no inkling as to what would befall their team on Sunday, as the Bullets were in firm command from the tip-off. The bullets rushed the Wildcats into quick shots and created an up-tempo game that gave the Bullets many avenues directly to the basket. Andre Moore was an intimidating force in the middle and an “in your face” slam over James Crawford in the first half seemed to set the physical tone for the game in which the Bullets were the creators and the Wildcats were the re-actors. In fact, the game was remarkably similar to game one, only the roles of the two teams were reversed.

The Perth back court was out played by the Fox, Rucker and Loggins combination and without the drive and penetration of Ellis and Grace, the Wildcats were without focus. Leading by eight at the end of the first term, Brisbane held Perth to 17 second quarter points to have a 14 point lead at the major break. Although the Wildcats were able to significantly up their offensive output in the third term, the Bullets continued to outpace them and set the Wildcats a seamlessly impossible barrier at three quarter time of 21 points. The Wildcats were not a spent force, however, and as the Bullets appeared to go negative and the Wildcats unleashed a three-point bomb assault that saw them get within six points (with possession).

At that stage, Leeroy Loggins stopped the rot with a couple of inspirational efforts and Perth made some crucial turnovers. The “deep hole” syndrome claimed another victim.

On Sunday afternoon, two different teams showed up to play, Perth with a vitalised Ellis/Grace back court established a patient offensive attack, featuring excellent ball movement, that forced the Bullets to play long and enervating defence stints that very quickly took toll on the Brisbane combination which had looked somewhat lead footed from the start. Where the Bullets guards had found driving lanes on Friday there were walls of rotating Perth defenders. Where Andre Moore seemed to command the middle on Friday, James Crawford controlled and intimidated on Sunday. Relentless substituting in of fresh Wildcats by coach Cal Bruton, which at times in the past had disrupted Perth’s flow, in this game exacerbated Brisbane’s problem of bench strength.

Grace and Ellis had marvellous control of the game and when Grace nailed one from the bleachers, just beating the expiry of the 30 second clock in the second quarter, the emotional balance swayed irrevocably to the Wildcats despite the desperate urgings of the vast and supportive crowd. By half time, Brisbane was down by 11 but the margin flattered the true state of the game which was more lopsided in Perth’s favour. (Perth shot 70% from the field in the first half). Rucker and Loggins tried desperately to stimulate a revival in the third term but the Bullets movement away from the ball was fading and the Wildcats were able to stack pressure on the ball handlers. Andre Moore didn’t see the ball in the third term as the Bullets could only scrounge up 13 points and trailed by 20 going into the last term. The Bullets hit the first two baskets of the last quarter, including a huge tomahawk by Moore, which sent ripples of optimism through the crowd. However, that was the extent of Brisbane’s run as they made three straight turnovers which led to Wildcats scores and that was all she wrote.

Ricky Grace won the Kmart MVP for the Grand Final Series with his two excellent performances in games one and three.

At the presentation ceremony, Leeroy Loggins pledged that the Bullets would be back to go one better next season. Brian Kerle’s Bullets achieved things far beyond most expectations at the start of the year. In the final analysis, their lack of manpower numbers may have been their final undoing but like an efficient engine the Bullets got the most out of what they had finished better than 12 other teams in the league with a couple more recruits…? When Leeroy speaks, it bears listening.

The saying that strength comes through adversity could be no better applied then to the Perth Wildcats who suffered a season of a thousand deaths only to rise up like the phoenix on the final day of the NBL season. They became the first team to win the NBL crown from fifth position and on the very last round of the regular season were in danger of slipping out of the play-offs altogether before a big win over, ironically, Brisbane gave them fresh life.

That NBL Championship ring will be more than compensation for a season that was continually perched on the brink and that must have been a huge emotional drain on Cal Bruton and his chargers. For long term basketball followers around the country, no one would begrudge Perth’s captain courageous Mike Ellis, his place on the winners dais and in the NBL history books.