Wright Comments on Potential Bullets Return

NBL coaching legend Joey Wright is unlikely to fill the vacant Brisbane Bullets coaching job, saying he is “happy doing what I’m doing”.

Wright is a Bullets icon, having led the club to a championship in 2007, and is a three-time Coach of the Year (2004, 2007, 2017).

He is also one of just three coaches to reach 500 games in the NBL, but that number isn’t likely to increase anytime soon.

Wright is currently in Adelaide running his own coaching program for children aged eight years and above called ‘Transition Sports’, teaching kids the skills and habits he learned from his playing and coaching years.

“I’m completely happy doing what I’m doing, I’m coaching now, I never got into coaching for the money or the fame,” Wright said on ESPN’s The Jump.

“When I started coaching, I really wanted to effect a young man’s life and teach them that you don’t have to be the best athlete or the tallest player to be efficient.

“I want to help young men grow just as young men and I get to do that now with a lot more people than I ever have.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Roster Update: Aron Baynes and DJ Mitchell have been ruled out of tomorrow night’s clash with the Wildcats. Both are expected to return to the court on Sunday.<a href="https://t.co/kKJOvm1x1i">https://t.co/kKJOvm1x1i</a></p>&mdash; Brisbane Bullets (@BrisbaneBullets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets/status/1597848629443981312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After hearing the news of now former Bullets coach James Duncan losing his job, Wright iterated the toughness of coaching in the NBL.

“Coaching this league is a tough situation, I don’t know enough about their program or what goes into the program to know whether it was a good move or not a good move,” he said.

Brisbane is suffering this season with a 3-7 record and sitting ninth on the ladder.

With veterans like Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey in the equation, Wright emphasised the importance of coaching and building a cohesive and transparent relationship with players in order to see results.

“I watch from afar, I watch all the games and it’s disappointing because that line up has big names, but big names don’t always win the games, you’ve got to get out there and get things done,” Wright said.

The Bullets return to the court on Thursday night against the Perth Wildcats.