The Perth Wildcats are a professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. They compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and their home games are played at RAC Arena, nicknamed "The Jungle".
The Perth Wildcats are scheduled to play against the Cairns Taipans. However, captain Jesse Wagstaff is doubtful due to a throat injury. Jaron Rillie addressed the media prior to the clash.
In 1951, the St. George Illawarra Dragons began a run of 23 consecutive finals appearances.
In 1967/68, the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League made 29 consecutive playoff appearances.
In 1973, the St. George Illawarra Dragons ended a run of 23 consecutive finals appearances.
In 1979, the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia was formed.
In 1982, after three years of lobbying to the NBL, the Westate Wildcats were established as a national basketball team in Perth and played out of the 800-seat Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium.
In 1982, the Hawthorn Football Club began a run of 13 consecutive finals appearances.
In 1983, Gordon Ellis took over as coach of the Westate Wildcats, as the team finished 13th with a 6–16 record.
In 1983, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.
In 1984, the NBL adopted a 48-minute game format.
In 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.
In 1984, the Westate Wildcats became the Perth Wildcats as interest in basketball steadily grew throughout the community.
In 1984, the team was renamed the Perth Wildcats, but success did not ensue under coach Lynn Massey as the team finished on the bottom of the ladder (16th) with only three wins.
Jay Brehmer became the fourth coach of the team for the 1985 season and imports Dan Clausen and Roland Brooks were added.
In 1986, Perth businessman Bob Williams bought the Perth Wildcats.
In 1986, Roland Brooks suffered a season-ending injury just 10 games into the season, and the Wildcats finished the season in 12th place with an 8–18 record.
In 1986, the Perth Wildcats finished in third-last position.
In 2003-04 season, Mike Ellis guided the team to their first losing season since 1986, finishing in seventh spot with a 15–18 record and a quarter-final defeat.
During the pre-season, Todd Blanchfield and Mitch Norton suffered major knee injuries. Vic Law scored 37 points, setting the highest score ever by a player in their Perth Wildcats debut. It surpassed James Crawford's previous record of 33 points in 1987.
In 1987, James Crawford scored 57 points in a game for the Wildcats, setting a record for the club at the time.
In 1987, the Perth Wildcats began a run of 35 straight NBL finals appearances.
In 1987, the Perth Wildcats experienced a losing grand final series, marking a significant moment in the team's journey.
In 1987, the Perth Wildcats made the finals for the first time, finishing the regular season in fourth position with a 19–7 record.
In 1987, the Perth Wildcats moved from Perry Lakes Stadium to the Superdrome.
In 1987, the Wildcats began a 35-year streak of making the post-season.
In 1988, the Perth Wildcats lost to the North Melbourne Giants in the Semi-finals.
Following the 1989 season, Cal Bruton retired as a player.
In 1989, The Wildcats lost to North Melbourne by 55 points which was their largest margin loss.
In 1989, the Perth Wildcats lost to the North Melbourne Giants in the Semi-finals.
In 1990, Cal Bruton became the Wildcats' general manager and later the coach, replacing Alan Black who was fired after two games. Ricky Grace joined the team.
In 1990, Kerry Stokes became co-owner of the franchise and the Perth Wildcats moved to the Perth Entertainment Centre.
In 1990, after leading the Wildcats to a championship, Cal Bruton was replaced as coach by Murray Arnold, a former assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls.
In 1990, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 1990, the Perth Wildcats won back-to-back titles, marking a period of great success for the team behind players like Ricky Grace and James Crawford.
In 1990, the Wildcats secured the title interstate. This was only the fourth grand final road win for any NBL team since 2009.
In 1990, the Wildcats went back-to-back for the first time since 1990/1991, while Gleeson became the first coach to guide the Wildcats to back-to-back championships.
In 1990/1991, the Wildcats won back-to-back championships for the first time since 1990/1991.
In 1991, Andrew Gaze became the first NBL player since to have three consecutive 40-point games.
In 1991, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 1991, the Wildcats went back-to-back for the first time since 1990/1991, while Gleeson became the first coach to guide the Wildcats to back-to-back championships.
In 2016, the Wildcats were attempting to secure the team's first back-to-back championships since 1991.
After a down year in 1992, the Perth Wildcats had a quarter-final loss.
In 1993, Mike Ellis retired, Dr Adrian Hurley was appointed as the new head coach, and Scott Fisher joined the team.
Following a disappointing 1994 season, the Wildcats recruited Anthony Stewart from the Hobart Tassie Devils.
In 1994, the Hawthorn Football Club ended a run of 13 consecutive finals appearances.
In 1995, coach Hurley guided the Perth Wildcats to the 'Triple Crown' - winning the pre-season competition, finishing minor premiers and then winning the NBL Championship.
In 1995, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 1995/96, the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League 29 consecutive playoff appearances came to an end.
Following four straight injury-plagued seasons that all resulted in early finals exists, the Wildcats geared up for a big season in 1999–2000.
In 1999/2000 season, the Wildcats won their fourth title.
In 2000, the Perth Wildcats signed import Marcus Timmons for their run to the finals.
In 2000, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 2000/01, a large championship drought began for the Wildcats, however, the team continued to make the finals each season.
In 2018, Bryce Cotton was named league MVP, becoming just the third Wildcat to win the award after Paul Rogers in 2000 and Kevin Lisch in 2012.
In the 1999/2000 season, the Wildcats won their fourth title behind coach Alan Black and veterans Vlahov, Grace and Fisher.
The Wildcats had a nine-game win streak during the 2020-2021 season, with the victory over the Sydney Kings on April 8. It marked the first nine-game win streak in a season for the Wildcats since January 2001.
Following the closure of the Perth Entertainment Centre, the Perth Wildcats moved back to the Superdrome for the 2002 season.
In the 2002–03 season, the Perth Wildcats played in their seventh Grand Final series behind Ricky Grace and coach Alan Black.
After claiming the minor premiership and beating the Gold Coast Blaze in the Semi-finals, the Wildcats came up against the Wollongong Hawks in their first Grand Final series since 2003.
In 2003, the Perth Wildcats were outclassed by the Sydney Kings in the championship series.
In April 2004, co-owner Luc Longley relinquished his majority share of the Wildcats, leaving Andrew Vlahov as the sole owner of the franchise.
After starting the season with three straight wins, the Wildcats lost their next five. It marked the first time since 2005 that the Wildcats recorded five consecutive losses.
In 2005, West Australian businessman Jack Bendat became the chairman and majority shareholder of the franchise. Although no longer the majority shareholder, Andrew Vlahov remained in control of the team as managing director.
The Wildcats began the season with a 2-5 record, marking the club's worst start to a season since 2005–06.
In the 2006-07 season, the Wildcats celebrated their 25th anniversary, recording 23 wins.
In 2007, West Australian businessman Jack Bendat assumed full control of the Perth Wildcats, after becoming the chairman and majority shareholder of the franchise in 2005.
In 2007, the Wildcats fell short in the finals during their 25th anniversary season.
In 2008, the Wildcats fell short in the finals, leading to Connor Henry replacing Scott Fisher for the 2008–09 season.
In 2008-09 season, the Wildcats faced potential folding unless they raised a million dollars in sponsorship.
In 2008/09, the Wildcats still made the finals each season during a large championship drought.
As of 2009, the Wildcats' win in Melbourne was only the fourth grand final road win for any NBL team. The grand final win in Melbourne happened in 2018.
Following the 2008–09 season, the Wildcats came within weeks of folding unless they raised a million dollars in sponsorship. Collaborating with other clubs, the Wildcats helped reform the league.
In 2009, after being on the brink of bankruptcy, owner Jack Bendat and managing director Nick Marvin transformed the Perth Wildcats franchise, focusing on being family-friendly and engaging with children in Western Australia by increasing school visits.
In 2009-10 season, after Games 1 and 2 proved to be comfortable victories for each home team, the Wildcats found themselves down by as many as 11 points in the second quarter of Game 3, before Lisch exploded offensively to finish with 29 points in lifting the team to a record fifth NBL Championship with a 96–72 win. Lisch was subsequently named MVP of the series.
In 2009-10, the NBL reverted to 40-minute games.
In 2010, the Perth Wildcats increased school visits to 200.
In 2010, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
The 2010–11 season was crippled by serious injuries to Jesse Wagstaff, Matthew Knight and Shawn Redhage.
In January 2011, co-captain Shawn Redhage was injured. The six-time club MVP lunged for a contested ball in a way that punched the head of his femur through his pelvis, breaking the bone and dislocating the joint.
In the 2011-12 season saw the Wildcats jostle over top spot for the majority of the season with the New Zealand Breakers. The two teams went on to meet in the Grand Final, where the Breakers defeated the Wildcats in three games.
Between 2012, the team was forced on extended road trips for much of December due to Perth's annual hosting of the Hopman Cup at Perth Arena in early January.
In 2012, the Perth Wildcats moved into Perth Arena and have consistently enjoyed large home crowds since.
In 2012, the Wildcats played a game at Perth High Performance Centre for the first time since 2012, due to the unavailability of Perth Arena.
In 2018, Bryce Cotton was named league MVP, becoming just the third Wildcat to win the award after Paul Rogers in 2000 and Kevin Lisch in 2012.
In the 2012–13 season, the Wildcats had a new home venue for the 2012–13 season, moving into the 13,000-seat Perth Arena.
On 4 February 2013, the Wildcats announced their 30th Anniversary All-Star Team, celebrating the team's history and achievements.
In 2013 the Wildcats lost 2–0 to the New Zealand Breakers in the Grand Final series.
In 2013/14, the Wildcats won their sixth championship with coach Trevor Gleeson and imports Jermaine Beal and James Ennis.
In the 2013 off-season, Rob Beveridge, Kevin Lisch and Cameron Tovey departed, with Trevor Gleeson, James Ennis, and Jermaine Beal replacing them.
During the 2014–15 season, Paul Woolpert served as an assistant coach under Trevor Gleeson.
In 2014, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 2014, the Wildcats had a title-winning campaign.
On 16 January 2015, a record crowd of 13,559 watched the Adelaide 36ers defeat the Wildcats 106–102 at Perth Arena.
In 2014–15 season, The Wildcats earned a Semi-final defeat.
In 2015/16, the Wildcats won their seventh championship, marking Trevor Gleeson as the first Wildcats coach to win multiple championships.
In 2015–16 season, the Wildcats were relatively injury-free.
In the 2016 off-season saw a lot of change in personnel, with three key players from the 2015–16 championship team moving on—Nate Jawai, Tom Jervis and Jermaine Beal.
In 2016, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 2016, the Wildcats defeated the New Zealand Breakers in three games led by captain and Grand Final MVP Damian Martin.
In 2016/17, the Wildcats won back-to-back championships for the first time since 1990/1991.
In the 2016 off-season, there was a lot of change in personnel, with three key players from the 2015–16 championship team moving on—Nate Jawai, Tom Jervis and Jermaine Beal. To replace them, coach Trevor Gleeson brought in Angus Brandt, Jameel McKay and Jaron Johnson.
In January 2017, the Wildcats became the first NBL franchise to break the 10,000-member barrier.
On 5 March 2017, a capacity crowd of 13,611 attended Game 3 of the 2017 Grand Final series, matching the Wildcats' highest-attendance record.
In 2017 off season, the Wildcats reacquired the services of Grand Final MVP Bryce Cotton for the 2017–18 season, but lost two-time Club MVP Casey Prather to Melbourne United.
In 2017, Nick Marvin departed the Perth Wildcats club.
In 2017, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
On 12 January 2018, a capacity crowd of 13,611 attended the Wildcats vs Melbourne United match, marking the seventh time topping 13,000 at Perth Arena in 2017–18.
During the 2018–19 season, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was a development player for the Wildcats.
In 2018/19, Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff became the only players in NBL history to win five championships at one club.
In the 2018 off-season, the Perth Wildcats secured Bryce Cotton to a three-year deal and acquired Nick Kay and Mitch Norton. They lost Lucas Walker, Jarrod Kenny, and Dexter Kernich-Drew but welcomed back Tom Jervis. Terrico White was signed, and Rhys Vague was elevated to the full-time roster. Two pre-season games were played in the United States against NBA teams Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets, resulting in a 130–72 loss to the Jazz. The Wildcats started the season strong with a 10–1 record despite injuries, but later fell to 12–9. They recovered, finishing as minor premiers with an 18–10 record, defeated the Bullets in the semi-finals, and won their ninth NBL championship against Melbourne United, with Terrico White named Grand Final MVP.
As of 2019, the Perth Wildcats players had a 350-hour community engagement obligation, 200 hours above what the collective bargaining agreement requires.
Between 2019, the team was forced on extended road trips for much of December due to Perth's annual hosting of the Hopman Cup at Perth Arena in early January.
In 2019, Trevor Gleeson was re-signed on a three-year deal. Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff were also re-signed, along with six others from the championship-winning roster, including Terrico White. Wagstaff became vice captain, replacing Greg Hire, and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was elevated to the full-time squad. Dario Hunt and Majok Majok were signed to replace Angus Brandt and Tom Jervis. Paul Woolpert and Jacob Chance replaced Matthew Nielsen and Adam Forde as assistant coaches.
In 2019, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
In 2019, the Wildcats defeated the Cairns Taipans 2–1 in the semi-finals to advance to the NBL Grand Final. They ultimately won their 10th NBL championship after the Kings withdrew from the final two games due to health concerns. Bryce Cotton was named Grand Final MVP.
In 2019/20, Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff joined C. J. Bruton and David Stiff as the NBL's only six-time champions and the only players to achieve that at one club.
In the final game of 2019, Damian Martin suffered a left heel injury.
In January 2020, after losing back-to-back games, Trevor Gleeson and the Wildcats released Dario Hunt and replaced him with Miles Plumlee.
In December 2020, preseason games commenced. The Wildcats were forced into quarantine and subsequently had to sit out Round 1 of the regular season after playing the Bullets in Brisbane.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 the NBL decided to reduce a roster spot and an import position for all teams, and also introduce pay cuts on player contracts for the 2020–21 season.
In 2020, the Perth Wildcats won an NBL championship.
On 24 January 2021, the Wildcats' season opener saw them defeat the South East Melbourne Phoenix 88–86. It was in Round 2.
On 19 December 2021, a new official capacity crowd record of 13,615 attended the Wildcats vs Tasmania JackJumpers match.
In 2021, Jack Bendat sold the Perth Wildcats club.
In 2021, the Perth Wildcats' run of 35 straight NBL finals appearances came to an end.
In 2021, the Wildcats' 35-year streak of making the post-season ended.
In 2021/22, Israeli professional basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv made their 41st post-season appearance, holding the world record of 40 straight post-season appearances.
In the 2021 off-season, Sports Entertainment Group took over from Jack Bendat as owner of the Wildcats, and Trevor Gleeson departed for the NBA, with Scott Morrison taking over as head coach.
In February 2022, the Wildcats announced their 40th Anniversary Team, recognizing key players and contributors over the team's history.
Following Scott Morrison's departure, in 2022, the Wildcats hired former NBL player John Rillie as head coach.
In 2022, the tradition of extended road trips in December continued with the United Cup's introduction.
On 14 January 2023, the Wildcats played the Adelaide 36ers in the first ever open-air game at RAC Arena, winning 112–97.
In March 2023, the Wildcats introduced a Club Hall of Fame to recognize past players, coaches, and support staff. Inductees included Paul Rogers, Eric Watterson, and former owner Bob Williams.
As of February 2024, a player must have played 200 games for the club and won two championships to be considered for jersey retirement.
In February 2024, former owner Kerry Stokes, championship-winning head coach Adrian Hurley, and long-time game-night producer Raquel Muia were inducted into the Wildcats Hall of Fame.
In July 2024, Sports Entertainment Group agreed to sell 90% of their 95% shareholder ownership of the Wildcats to MT Arena Capital Investment, valuing the team at an estimated $40 million.
On 14 August 2024, WA businessman Mark Arena officially became the majority owner of the Wildcats after purchasing 52.5 per cent of the club for $21 million from Sports Entertainment Group.
As of the 2024 season, the arena is unavailable for Wildcats games between the middle of December and the middle of January.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, the Perth Wildcats had another season completed.
In 2024, the Wildcats experienced changes in their roster, with Jordan Usher, Corey Webster, Alex Sarr and Kyle Zunic departing. Michael Harris was upgraded, Elijah Pepper was acquired, and Izan Almansa replaced Sarr. Dylan Windler joined, and the Wildcats had an undefeated pre-season.
In February 2025, former owner Jack Bendat and four-time NBL champion and former vice-captain Greg Hire were inducted into the Wildcats Hall of Fame.
In 2025, five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton departed the Wildcats, signing with the Adelaide 36ers. The club also underwent a rebrand with a new logo, uniform color, and font.
In 2026, as part of the ownership agreement, Mark Arena is scheduled to provide another payment of $15 million to receive an extra 37.5 per cent of the Perth Wildcats.
In 2028, Mark Arena has the option to buy the entire Perth Wildcats club, completing the full acquisition.
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