Isaac Burton (Sydney Kings) his time in the NBL, the Arizona State point shaving scandal and the Netflix documentary “Bad Sports”
October 31, 2021
Isaac Burton
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 3/01/73
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 196
- Weight (KG): 90
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: East Los Angeles College (1991-1993) / Arizona State (1993-1995)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/04/96
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 16/03/02
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 29
- NBL History: Sydney 1996-97, 2002 | Newcastle 1998
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Ice
BIO: Isaac Milton Burton was born in Los Angeles, California (USA) and attended Washington Preparatory High School where he excelled in both baseball and basketball.
Despite growing up around career criminals and drugs in Los Angeles, his brother was a member of a gang and killed while Bruton was a child, he was able to complete high school and graduate college. Bruton was a very talented baseball player who was drafted three different times by MLB professional baseball team’s the Cincinnati Reds (twice) and Seattle Mariners but due to a healthy rivalry with his brother Sean he also played basketball throughout his childhood and cites that despite baseball being his primary sport growing his desire to beat his brother in basketball also saw him develop into a talented basketball player also. Urged on by his father to go to college he enrolled in East Los Angeles College where he was able to play for the school’s baseball and basketball team’s.
Burton was a electrifying guard who dominated both ends of the floor during his time in the NBL. Burtons quick hands and smart footwork made his one of the league premier defenders.
FAMILY: Has a son Te’Shon Burton who played college basketball at Bellevue University. He also has a nephew Deonte who played with the Bendigo Braves during the 2019 NBL1 season.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Isaac Burton made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 23 years of age. He scored 19 points in his first game.
Sydney went through a period of major change prior to the 1996 season. From 1989 to 1995, the Kings had been coached by Bob Turner and had established themselves as a powerhouse franchise, particularly off the court. Corporate sponsorship through global juggernauts like Coca-Cola and Reebok had assisted in the enormous growth of the brand, resulting in numerous sell-outs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
But in 1995, the Kings struggled on the floor and failed to make the playoffs. And for a club that every year expected to not only make the playoffs but contend for a championship, that wasn’t good enough.
Bob Turner was replaced as coach by Alan Black, who had taken the Illawarra Hawks to the playoffs in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and was named NBL Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995. Two foundation members of the Sydney Kings – Mark Dalton and Damian Keogh – were released from the club, as were a number of other players from the unsuccessful 1995 squad.
Black brought Hawks MVP Melvin Thomas along with him to the Kings and signed former Charlotte Hornets guard Tony Bennett as the team’s two imports. 25-year-old Stephen Whitehead (via Melbourne) joined the team, looking for more playing opportunities after serving a ‘apprenticeship’ behind stars Andrew Gaze and Lanard Copeland. But the key addition this year was owner Mike Wrublewski convincing Australia’s Boomers guard Shane Heal to move to Sydney and become the face of the franchise and captain of the team. Wrublewski even had the Kings swap their traditional purple and gold uniforms in favour of a black pin-striped design as a way to signify a new direction for Sydney in the hopes of re-energising a fan base.
Some addition by subtraction saw the Kings release Bennett during the pre-season and replace him with the high-flying excitement machine, Isaac ‘Ice’ Burton, out of Arizona State University. Right from the start, they got the old Kingdome rocking, with Heal dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter of a unforgettable comeback win in the season opener at home against the North Melbourne Giants.
That set the scene for a incredible first two months, with Sydney jumping to a 11-3 record, winning their first eight games at home and leading the NBL standings. In one amazing stretch, the Kings won nine straight games, averaging 120.4 points per game over that span.
Those wins included a blowout win over the Gold Coast (131-112), which saw Shane Heal (35 points and 7 assists) and Melvin Thomas (26 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots) putting up big numbers. A nail biter over Perthat home (122-121), where three players scored at least 20 points, and Thomas finished just two assists shy of a triple-double, and win over NSW rival Illawarra (128-106), where Isaac Burton (32 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) dominated both ends of the court.
Unfortunately, a mid-season injury to Heal slowed the team down. Burton, who had started slowly at the offensive end, averaging 17 points per game during his first month with the Kings, faced rumours that he was at risk of being cut from the team due to a lack of scoring. Understanding he was signed to the team primarily as a defensive presence to assist Shane Heal in the backcourt, he had decided to focus on defence and defer to Heal offensively. The rumours led Bruton to fire up on the offensive end. He averaged 27 points per game in May, becoming a instant ‘fan-favourite’, and when Shane returned, the Kings won four of their last five games, taking them to a fifth-place (16-10) and a chance to play in the playoffs.
With Burton (24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals) and Heal (23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists) forming a deadly combination in the backcourt, Melvin Thomas (20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks) and Bruce Bolden (16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks) were a unstoppable tandem down low, adding toughness, rebounding and a deadly ability to knock down the midrange jumper.
Alongside the team’s stars, Burton also added 24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, rounding out a incredibly fun roster to watch.
Sydney (16-10) faced off against Canberra (16-10) in the Quarter-finals, behind import duo Robert Rose and Darnell Mee. On the back of a season-high scoring night, Stephen Whitehead (24 points and 5 rebounds) surprised everyone in game one, winning by 24 points in the opening game (113-89). The Cannons would get a huge boost from their supporting cast in game two, with Jamie Pearlman (29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), David Close (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ray Borner (21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals) as well as Mee (29 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) all scoring over 20 points. Rose (11 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists) finished just shy of a triple-double with Canberra defeating Sydney by 47 points (146-99). The deciding game saw the stars of the series come out firing, with Canberra’s Rose (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mee (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) going head-to-head with Sydney’s Heal (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Burton (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals) but it was the team’s supporting casts the made the difference. Outside of Heal and Bruton, the Kings managed to score a mere 43 points, while the Cannons remaining roster tallied 58 points, with Borner (18 points and 7 rebounds), Blakemore (17 points and 6 rebounds), and Pearlman (17 points and 3 assists) all having big games. Canberra closed out the series with the win (101-89) and headed into a semi final against Melbourne.
While the Kings were unable to progress past the first round of the playoffs, it was still a season to remember.. Sydney averaged 108.8 points per game in the regular season – the most points scored per game in a regular season in franchise history – and also set team records that have never been broken for regular season field goal percentage (51.6%) and three-point percentage (41.2%).
Burton led the entire league in three-point percentage, was third in the NBL in steals and would go on to become the first Sydney King to win NBL Defensive Player of the Year. Heal would finish among the league’s best when he earned selection in the All-NBL Second Team.
After their 1996 elimination, the Kings would not make the NBL playoffs again until 2001, when they made it to the first round before being eliminated by the Townsville Crocodiles.
1997
A year into the Kings rebuilding around Boomers guard Shane Heal, a incredible 1996 Olympic campaign saw him sign a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leaving Sydney with a huge hole to fill. The decision was made to sign up-and-coming guard Aaron Trahair, who had shown a lot of promise playing in Perth despite being stuck behind legendary guard Ricky Grace. The Kings also added Cameron Dickinson (via Townsville) to help cover the perimeter shooting lost by Heal’s departure.
With Hobart, Geelong, and Gold Coast exiting the league after the 1996 season and the talent from those rosters distributed among the league’s remaining team’s, the 1997 season was one of the most competitive in NBL history. This, combined with the unexpected loss of Shane Heal, saw the Kings struggle, losing three of their first four games. Much of the responsibility would be thrown onto import Isaac Burton (20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.0 steals), who led both the team in scoring and the league in steals for the second year in a row. His all-around brilliance was on full display when he recorded a near quadruple-double when Burton recorded 44 points, nine rebounds, eight assists & seven steals, hitting 15 of 22 from the field in a 123-107 win over the Illawarra Hawks.
Melvin Thomas (18.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals) led the team in rebounds in his second year in Sydney. 26-year-old Stephen Whitehead would blossom into the team’s third-leading scorer (12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists), a young Matthew Nielsen (9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game), who had been a training player with the Kings since 1995, claimed Rookie of the Year honours and Burton averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Sydney would lose their last three games (12-18) and finish second-last (tenth) on the ladder.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1998
In 1998, Burton signed with NSW rivals Newcastle and averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. In what was a difficult season, where the Falcons struggled financially and ended the year in last place with a record of 9 wins, 21 losses.
SYDNEY KINGS
2001/02
The 2001/02 season saw Burton return to the Sydney Kings mid-season and pair with Shane Heal in the backcourt once again. Burton averaged 20 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists as the Kings finished in eighth place with a 14-16 record.
Isaac Burton played four seasons in the NBL. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4 assists in 96 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 8th in steals per game.
HIGHLIGHTS:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 29 | Sydney | 14-16 (8) | 8 | 298.0 | 160 | 43 | 29 | 17 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 32 | 28 | 55 | 117 | 47% | 13 | 30 | 43% | 37 | 52 | 71% | 56% | 53% | 30 |
| 1998 | 25 | Newcastle | 9-21 (10) | 29 | 1,170.0 | 558 | 165 | 105 | 55 | 110 | 63 | 17 | 105 | 94 | 204 | 479 | 43% | 57 | 156 | 37% | 93 | 119 | 78% | 52% | 49% | 38 |
| 1997 | 24 | Sydney | 12-18 (9) | 30 | 1,324.0 | 623 | 172 | 153 | 45 | 127 | 90 | 8 | 111 | 84 | 224 | 476 | 47% | 38 | 129 | 29% | 137 | 180 | 76% | 55% | 51% | 44 |
| 1996 | 23 | Sydney | 16-10 (5) | 29 | 1,262.0 | 707 | 190 | 100 | 67 | 123 | 91 | 12 | 117 | 103 | 250 | 471 | 53% | 54 | 115 | 47% | 153 | 190 | 81% | 63% | 59% | 39 | Totals | 96 | 4054 | 2048 | 570 | 387 | 184 | 386 | 264 | 40 | 365 | 309 | 733 | 1543 | 47.5% | 162 | 430 | 37.7% | 420 | 541 | 77.6% | 57% | 53% | 44 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 29 | Sydney | 14-16 (8) | 8 | 37.3 | 20.0 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 6.9 | 14.6 | 47% | 1.6 | 3.8 | 43% | 4.6 | 6.5 | 71% | 56% | 53% | 30 |
| 1998 | 25 | Newcastle | 9-21 (10) | 29 | 40.3 | 19.2 | 5.7 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 7.0 | 16.5 | 43% | 2.0 | 5.4 | 37% | 3.2 | 4.1 | 78% | 52% | 49% | 38 |
| 1997 | 24 | Sydney | 12-18 (9) | 30 | 44.1 | 20.8 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 7.5 | 15.9 | 47% | 1.3 | 4.3 | 29% | 4.6 | 6.0 | 76% | 55% | 51% | 44 |
| 1996 | 23 | Sydney | 16-10 (5) | 29 | 43.5 | 24.4 | 6.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 8.6 | 16.2 | 53% | 1.9 | 4.0 | 47% | 5.3 | 6.6 | 81% | 63% | 59% | 39 | Total | 96 | 42.2 | 21.3 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 7.6 | 16.1 | 47.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.7% | 1.7 | 4.5 | 77.6% | 57% | 53% | 44 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 44 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Attended Phoenix Suns training camp in 1995.
He also played in U.S. minor-league basketball, suiting up for Black Hills in the International Basketball Association in 1996, where he was the league’s leading scorer and MVP, before spending time with Quad City in the Continental Basketball Association in 1997.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Cyprus - Apoel (1998–1999, 2001–2002, 2002–2003), Keravnos (2003–2004), ENAD (2004–2005), AEK Larnaca (2005–2006, 2007–2008), Achilleas (2006–2007)
Isaac Burton’s first Cypriot stint came with Apoel in 1998–1999, and he featured in the Saporta Cup in 1999 where he averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 10 games for Elma Apoel.
Burton returned to Apoel for the 2001–2002 season and was credited with helping the club secure a domestic treble, including the Cyprus league title, alongside JoJo Garcia.
During his 2002–2003 season with Apoel, he appeared in the Korac Cup in 2002 (2 games, 16.0 points per game) before averaging 26.4 points across nine games in the 2003 FIBA Europe Champions Cup for Men, Conference South.
For 2003–2004, Burton joined Keravnos, earned Eurobasket Cyprus Second Team recognition, and was part of a Keravnos side that finished as Cyprus league runner-up to AEL.
In European competition with Keravnos, he averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over eight games in the 2004 FIBA Europe Cup Men, and Eurobasket’s season notes recorded Keravnos finishing first in its South Conference group before losing to Rabotnicki in the conference semifinals.
Burton moved to ENAD for 2004–2005, averaged 22 points and 4 assists, and Eurobasket’s stat leaders listed him third in the league in assists at 4.1 per game, while he also posted 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in four FIBA Europe Cup Men appearances that year.
With AEK Larnaca in 2005–2006, he finished second in total points with 317 and was named to Eurobasket’s All-Cyprus League Second Team and All-Defensive Team for the season.
Burton returned to AEK Larnaca in 2007–2008 and Eurobasket’s leaders listed him second in scoring at 16.8 points per game, while league notes also credited him as second in steals for that season.
COLLEGE
Burton attended East Los Angeles College after high school and averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and three assists a game in his sophomore season, after being named co-Most Valuable Player of the Southern California Athletic Conference, and he signed a letter of intent on April 14, 1993 to attend Arizona State on a full scholarship for the 1993-94 season.
Burton then played for Arizona State University’s basketball team from 1993 to 1995, appearing in 28 games (23 starts) in 1993-94 and averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32.6 minutes per game while shooting .403 from the field, .341 on three-pointers, and .840 at the line (100-for-119).
Burton scored 28 points on debut for Arizona State a record which still stands as the most points scored on debut for a Arizona State Sun Devil, doing it in a 106-95 win over BYU, and later in his first season at Arizona State he produced a then career-high 29 points against fifth-ranked Arizona on January 5, 1994 and scored 28 points against then-No. 8 Oklahoma State.
In 1994-95, Burton played 33 games (29 starts) as Arizona State went 24-9 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, and he averaged 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 steals in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting .425 from the field, .318 on three-pointers, and .783 at the line (108-for-138).
During Arizona State’s 1995 NCAA Tournament run, Burton went 5-for-9 from the field with 2-for-5 on threes and 3-for-4 at the line in the Round of 64 win over Ball State, then had a 0-point night on 0-for-7 shooting in the Round of 32 win over Manhattan, before scoring 11 points in the Sweet Sixteen loss to Kentucky (97-73).
Burton, a exceptional baseball player as well, was also walk-on for the Sun Devils' baseball team where he helped the Sun Devils reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, and he was selected in the 66th round of the 1995 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Seattle Mariners from Arizona State University.
During his time there he accepted a bribe to ""brick"" a few free throws in exchange for money in a couple of games in 1994, including an approach connected to the Oregon State game on January 28, 1994, and Isaac said, “So I was just trying to make a easy buck. I didn't really put no thought behind it — like consequences. I just thought, ‘Hey, I want the money. I want the money.’ And that’s what I'm paying for.” Isaac took $4300 for that and then used it to buy car accessories, clothes, and jewelry. For him, it was just about having that money because he had a difficult upbringing. He mentioned, “I never really had a lot of money in my pocket at once. Coming from LA, (I was) just a child from the streets. I think the most I ever had before I went to college was maybe $100.” Isaac and Arizona State were punished for points shaving, and Burton was later declared retroactively ineligible by the NCAA, creating the risk of Arizona State having to return NCAA Tournament earnings tied to the period in question.
Isaac pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and in June 1999, he was sentenced to two months in jail, six months of home detention, and three years’ probation, while finishing his Arizona State basketball career with 61 games played and career averages of 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on .415 shooting from the field, .328 from three, and .809 at the free-throw line, with his .809 career free-throw percentage listed among Arizona State’s completed-career free-throw percentage leaders.
AWARDS
- 1x time NBL Best Defensive Player (1996)
- 1x All-NBL Second Team- 2nd Team - Cypriot Basketball Division A (2006)
-
All Defensive Team - Cypriot Basketball Division A (2006, 2007)
-
Defensive Player of the Year - Cypriot Basketball Division A (2007)
-
Drew League 40th Anniversary Team (2013)
COACHING HISTORY
He now works as a basketball referee in Los Angeles.
Related
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