C. J. Bruton is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player who played college basketball for Indian Hills Community College from 1995 to 1997 and was picked by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1997 NBA draft. He played the majority of his career in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) and won six league championships as well as was a five-time All-NBL Team selection. Throughout the course of his career, he played for many NBL teams such as Perth Wildcats, Brisbane Bullets, Wollongong Hawks, Canberra Cannons, Sydney Kings, and New Zealand Breakers. Additionally, C. J. Bruton has also served as the head coach of the Brisbane Spartans in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) as well as the Adelaide 36ers.
Full Name
Calvin Thomas Bruton Jr.
Nick Name
C. J.
C. J. Bruton as seen while smiling for the camera as he celebrates the 2005 NBL championship win with the Sydney Kings (Catherine Cranston / Wikimedia Foundation / CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED)
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Born Place
Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Nationality
Education
C. J. Bruton studied at Wichita East High School, a public secondary school located in Wichita, Kansas. After that, he enrolled at Indian Hills Community College of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 1995.
Occupation
Professional Basketball Coach, Former Basketball Player
Family
Father – Calvin Burton Sr. (Professional Basketball Player)
Mother – Patricia
Position
Point guard/Shooting guard
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 2 in or 188 cm (Listed Height)
Weight
88 kg or 194 lbs (Listen Weight)
Girlfriend / Spouse
C. J. Bruton has dated –
Jessica – He is married to Jessica and the duo has been blessed with 3 sons named Rio, Roc, and Diggy.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
C. J. Bruton is of African-American descent.
Hair Color
Salt and Pepper
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Deep-set eyes
C. J. Bruton Facts
He was 3 years old when his family shifted from Kansas to Australia so that his father was able to play professional basketball.
C. J. Bruton debuted for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League in 1994. He became ineligible to play in the NCAA.
While in college, he served as the starting point guard for the Warriors in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
He led the Indian Hills Community College to the school’s first championship in 1997 and was named an NJCAA All-American as well as the MVP of the 1997 national tournament.
As a freshman, C. J. Bruton averaged 13.2 points per game and 12.1 as a sophomore. Also, he led the team with 5.3 assists per game as a sophomore.
In the 1997 NBA draft, he was picked with the 52nd overall pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies on June 25, 1997, and his draft rights were later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a draft night trade.
In 1998, he returned to NBL and played for the Brisbane Bullets for one season and he then moved to Wollongong to play for the Illawarra Hawks from 1998 to 2000.
C. J. Bruton joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce for the 2000–01 CBA season in 2000. The following year, he joined the Canberra Cannons and the head coach there was his father.
He was selected to play as a member of the Australian Boomers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 2008.
He was picked for the Boomers Camp in July 2010. Soon after, he announced his international retirement.
In 2013, C. J. Bruton was named to the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.
For the 2015 SEABL season, he was appointed head coach of the Brisbane Spartans men’s team on December 1, 2014.
In 2015, he was named assistant coach and Basketball Operations Manager of the Brisbane Bullets for the team’s return season in 2016–17.
For the 2016 SEABL season, he was appointed player/coach of the Brisbane Spartans on January 18, 2016.
For the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, C. J. Bruton was appointed as an assistant coach with the Australian Boomers and he helped his side secure a gold medal.
He was made head coach of the Adelaide 36ers on a three-year deal on September 10, 2021. He left the team on December 6, 2023, and had a win-loss record of 27–40 over 67 games.
Featured Image by Catherine Cranston / Wikimedia Foundation / CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED
