Paul Henare on the NZ Breakers’ Early Years, the Tall Blacks’ 2002 World Champs Run, and Japan’s Basketball Boom
December 13, 2024
Perrin Buford
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 25/01/94
- Place of Birth: Decatur, Alabama (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 100
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Motlow State CC (2012–2013) Southwest Tennessee CC (2013/2014) Middle Tennessee (2014–2016)
- NBL DEBUT: 7/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 3/02/18
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Brisbane 2018
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Buford was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama and started high school Austin High School before moving to Tuscaloosa and finishing at Hillcrest High School.
As a senior, Buford was named second team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Perrin Buford made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 23 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.
After finishing eighth with a 10-18 record in their first season back in the NBL, Brisbane entered 2017/18 with Andrej Lemanis remaining head coach and Adam Gibson captain. Torrey Craig (to Denver), Jermaine Beal (to Israel) and Jeremy Kendle (to South West Metro) departed, while Travis Trice (via Cairns), Stephen Holt (via Czech Republic) and Perrin Buford (via Italy) were added.
Brisbane was also selected to take part in the first NBLxNBA series, travelling to Phoenix to face the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 13. Buford (11 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals), Trice (20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and Daniel Kickert (10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Brisbane, but Devin Booker (31 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Phoenix to a 114-93 win.
Watch Brisbane Bullets vs Phoenix Suns replay
Brisbane opened the NBL season against defending champion Perth at Perth Arena on October 7, where Buford (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) made his NBL debut in a 96-86 loss. Trice (27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Kickert (18 points) led Brisbane, while Bryce Cotton (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Perth.
Buford (15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks across 22 games) had been recruited to replace Craig after spending the previous season with Fortitudo Moncada Agrigento in Italy and playing for Boston during NBA Summer League. Buford led Brisbane in scoring and rebounding, recorded six double-doubles and shot 50.4 percent from the field, 41.0 percent from three and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. He also finished 10th in NBL MVP voting with 59 votes.
Buford’s best game came against Illawarra on October 22, where Buford (26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) shot 10-of-13 from the field and made both of his three-point attempts, but the Hawks recovered from a 15-point first-quarter deficit to defeat Brisbane 105-96. Kickert (21 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and Holt (17 points) provided support, while Rotnei Clarke (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Illawarra.
Against Cairns on December 14, Buford (17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks) produced one of his strongest two-way games and blocked the Taipans’ potential game-winning shot in the final seconds as Brisbane escaped with a 75-74 win. Trice (14 points and 3 assists) and Reuben Te Rangi (12 points and 5 rebounds) provided support, while Jerry Evans Jr (18 points and 9 rebounds) led Cairns.
An ankle injury forced Buford to miss Brisbane’s losses to Illawarra on December 31 and Cairns on January 5, his only two injury-related absences, before returning to the lineup on January 7.
With Brisbane already eliminated from playoff contention, Buford (24 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) helped the Bullets end a seven-game losing streak with a 95-90 win over Adelaide on January 27. Trice (15 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals) and Te Rangi (12 points and 6 rebounds) provided support, while Daniel Johnson (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Adelaide.
Buford’s final NBL game came against Melbourne on February 3, where Buford (5 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) shot 2-of-13 from the field as United defeated Brisbane 69-61. Kickert (17 points) and Holt (11 points and 4 rebounds) led the Bullets, while Casper Ware (17 points and 4 steals) led Melbourne. Two days later Buford requested his release to pursue an opportunity in Europe and was released (to Turkey), with general manager Richard Clarke saying, “It had become obvious over the last week that Perrin was no longer committed to the team.” Kickert responded on Twitter, “Once a quitter, always a quitter!”
Trice (15.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals across 27 games) was named Brisbane’s club MVP, while Kickert (13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds across 26 games), Tom Jervis (10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds across 24 games), Holt (9.7 points and 3.1 rebounds across 28 games), Te Rangi (7.3 points across 26 games), Gibson (7.3 points and 3.5 assists across 24 games) and Anthony Petrie (5.9 points across 16 games) were the other main contributors.
Brisbane played its final four games without Buford and closed the season in Adelaide on February 17, where Trice (20 points) and Holt (12 points and 3 rebounds) led the Bullets, while Majok Deng (20 points and 3 steals) led the 36ers to a 105-82 win, leaving Brisbane in eighth place with a 9-19 record.
Perrin Buford played one season in the NBL. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 22 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 24 | Brisbane | 9-19 (8) | 22 | 682 | 350 | 180 | 49 | 42 | 138 | 26 | 28 | 44 | 52 | 137 | 272 | 50% | 16 | 39 | 41% | 60 | 85 | 71% | 56% | 53% | 26 | Totals | 22 | 682 | 350 | 180 | 49 | 42 | 138 | 26 | 28 | 44 | 52 | 137 | 272 | 50.4% | 16 | 39 | 41.0% | 60 | 85 | 70.6% | 57% | 53% | 26 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 24 | Brisbane | 9-19 (8) | 22 | 31.0 | 15.9 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 6.2 | 12.4 | 50% | 0.7 | 1.8 | 41% | 2.7 | 3.9 | 71% | 56% | 53% | 26 | Total | 22 | 31.0 | 15.9 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 6.2 | 12.4 | 50.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 41.0% | 0.7 | 1.8 | 70.6% | 57% | 53% | 26 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 26 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Italy - Moncada Agrigento (2016–2017) | Turkey - Yeşilgiresun Belediye (2018), Gaziantep Basketbol (2020) | Puerto Rico - Caciques de Humacao (2018) | Russia - Avtodor Saratov (2018–2019) | China - Fujian Sturgeons (2019) | Spain - Joventut Badalona (2019–2020) | Japan - Shimane Susanoo Magic (2020–2024), Shinshu Brave Warriors (2024–2025) | Lebanon - Al Riyadi Beirut (2025–2026) | Indonesia - Pelita Jaya (2026)
Buford joined Moncada Agrigento for the 2016–17 Serie A2 season, playing his first season in Italy and averaging 16.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks across 33 games.
Perrin Buford joined Yeşilgiresun Belediye for the 2018 Turkish Basketball Super League season and averaged 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks across 12 games.
Perrin Buford joined Caciques de Humacao for the 2018 BSN season in Puerto Rico and averaged 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists across six games.
Perrin Buford joined Avtodor Saratov for the 2018–19 VTB United League season in Russia, earned VTB United League All-Star selection and averaged 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in VTB play.
Perrin Buford also played 12 FIBA Europe Cup games for Avtodor Saratov in 2018–19, averaging 16.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 blocks.
Perrin Buford joined Fujian Sturgeons for the 2019 Chinese Basketball Association season but left before the CBA season began.
Perrin Buford joined Joventut Badalona for the 2019–20 Liga ACB season in Spain and averaged 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 11 ACB games.
Perrin Buford also played eight EuroCup games for Joventut Badalona in 2019–20, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
Perrin Buford joined Gaziantep Basketbol for the 2020 Turkish Basketball Super League season and averaged 6.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists across five games.
Perrin Buford joined Shimane Susanoo Magic for the 2020–21 B.League season in Japan and averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists across 44 games.
Perrin Buford remained with Shimane Susanoo Magic for the 2021–22 B.League season and averaged 19.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists across 55 games.
Perrin Buford continued with Shimane Susanoo Magic in 2022–23, averaging 22.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists across 61 games while earning Japanese B.League Best Five honours.
Perrin Buford played his fourth Shimane Susanoo Magic season in 2023–24, averaging 22.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists across 52 games while winning the B.League scoring title and earning Japanese B.League Best Five honours.
Perrin Buford joined Shinshu Brave Warriors for the 2024–25 B.League season in Japan and averaged 19.2 points across 48 games.
Perrin Buford joined Al Riyadi Beirut for the 2025–26 Lebanese Basketball League season and averaged 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists across 19 league games.
Perrin Buford also played eight FIBA WASL West Asia League games for Al Riyadi Beirut in 2025–26, averaging 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Perrin Buford joined Pelita Jaya for the 2026 Indonesian Basketball League season and recorded 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game across his first two IBL appearances.
COLLEGE
Perrin Buford began his college career at Motlow State Community College in 2012–13, where he averaged 10.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game for the Bucks as a freshman while also leading Motlow in blocks at 1.3 per game.
Across that Motlow season, Buford played 28 games with 23 starts and totaled 299 points, 153 rebounds, 74 assists, and 35 blocks, shooting 53.2 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range, and 56.3 percent at the free-throw line.
He then transferred to Southwest Tennessee Community College for the 2013–14 season to continue playing under Jerry Nichols, who had previously been Motlow State’s coach, joining a large group of Motlow transfers that had helped power the Bucks to a 26–4 record, a TCCAA Region VII championship, and an NJCAA national tournament appearance the year before.
As a sophomore at Southwest Tennessee in 2013–14, Buford averaged 14.0 points and six rebounds in 26 games for the Saluqis, scored double-figures in 22 of those 26 games, and added a team-best 3.6 assists per game, with Middle Tennessee later noting he was also an All-Tennessee Community College Athletic Association First Team selection that season.
Buford moved up to NCAA Division I with Middle Tennessee for the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, and in his first year with the Blue Raiders in 2014–15 he played 35 games with 13 starts while hitting 50.0 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range, finishing with 124 rebounds and 22 blocks and earning selection to the Conference USA All-Tournament Team.
That 2014–15 season included a career-high 29 points at UAB on February 28 while coming off the bench, and he also pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds on the road at Louisiana Tech on February 7 as his role expanded late in the year.
As a senior in 2015–16, Buford appeared in all 35 games with 30 starts and averaged 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in both rebounds and assists (69) while leading Middle Tennessee in blocks with 40 on the season.
He produced 22 double-figure scoring games and four 20-point outings that year, recorded double-doubles against North Texas (16 points, 11 rebounds) and at FAU (18 points, 11 rebounds), and earned Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team honours after averaging 12.7 points per game across three games while adding 10 rebounds and five blocks.
Buford’s late-season run continued through March as he was named to the Conference USA All-Tournament Team again in 2016 after averaging 16.3 points and 6.0 rebounds across Middle Tennessee’s three tournament games, and he followed it in the NCAA tournament with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in Middle Tennessee’s first-round win over Michigan State.
By the end of his Middle Tennessee career, the program credited him with 40 blocks in 2015–16 and 62 career blocks, placing him inside the school’s single-season and career top-10 lists for blocks.
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