Grand final MVP Bryce Cotton boasts the hottest hand in the NBL, and it seems even his smile is working wonders for the Perth Wildcats.
New Wildcats import Devondrick Walker revealed he made the decision to sign on with Perth after seeing how happy the move had made Cotton.
Cotton took the league by storm after arriving late last season, with his sharp shooting playing a pivotal role in the Wildcats' second straight Championship.
Walker and Cotton are good friends after playing in America together earlier in their careers.
Cotton turned down lucrative offers to re-sign with the Wildcats for another season, and the 196cm Walker couldn't wait to join him.
"Once he told me he was coming back, I was like, 'I think I want to be here with you man'," Walker said.
"I've never seen Bryce so happy. I've never seen him so alive, so animated about the game.
"I've seen him over the years in other places, and he didn't have nearly as much energy as he had here.
"We spent our rookie year together with the Austin Spurs in the D-League. The fireworks we had then in terms of our on-court chemistry was really good.
"So for my first opportunity to leave the country, I thought why not go play with a really good friend?"
Walker will add extra firepower to Perth's long-range capabilities.
The 25-year-old stunned the basketball world with a perfect 12-of-12 three-point shooting display at a D-League Showcase Event in January.
"I can tell you right now, I won't do that again," Walker said with a laugh.
"I think I was shined upon by the higher being that day."
Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson later joked: "He might not go 12 for 12, but hopefully he can go 13 of 13, or 14 of 14. I'm quite easy with that."
Walker has been nicknamed Bushy by his new Wildcats teammates.
He's not quite sure why that is, but revealed the story behind his childhood nickname of Tuss.
"I was going to a middle school tryout, I was 12 years old, and I had just watched a documentary about (former Pistons great) Isiah Thomas," Walker said.
"I just fell in love with the guy.
"I went to the tryout, and they were like, 'What's your name?'. And I said, 'You can just call me Tuss, because that was Isiah's nickname throughout the documentary.
"And it just happened to stick with me."
Walker has been joined in Perth by fellow American Derek Cooke Jr.
With Cotton back on board for another campaign, the Wildcats have been installed as early favourites to win this season's title.
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