Adelaide coach Mike Wells has called on the Perth Wildcats fans' Red Army to treat Bryce Cotton with respect ahead of the five-time NBL MVP's highly-anticipated 'homecoming' at RAC Arena.
It will mark Cotton's first appearance in Perth since his shock off-season switch to the 36ers after nine stellar years with the Wildcats.
Cotton is enjoying a typically brilliant campaign as a Sixer, on track for a ninth scoring title and sixth MVP crown - trailing only Melbourne legend Andrew Gaze (14 and seven) in both those categories.
"I've been involved in those types of things when guys go back and play their former teams in my NBA life," Wells said.
"What he did out there is really amazing - his years in Perth were amazing.
"I hope they give him the appropriate response and respect for what he did for that city and that organisation."
The free-agency defection of the Wildcats' greatest-ever player stirred plenty of emotion out west.
In May, Cotton took umbrage at a backpage headline in the West Australian newspaper that dubbed him "The Lying King".
"When I go back to Perth, I'm burning that mother****er," he responded at the time. "That little gift they gave me? That s*** going straight to the fireplace."
Wells warned against booing Cotton, suggesting it could bring out the best in him.
"I don't know how they're going to welcome him," he said.
"I would hope they welcome him back.
"But if they boo him the whole time, that might be good too."
The 36ers are the league's in-form team, riding a five-game winning streak.
Their last loss was at home against Perth a month ago.
That defeat is Sixers import Zylan Cheatham's prime motivation for Sunday's return bout.
"If you can't get up for a game like this, I don't know if you're in the right business," he said.
"This is a team that came in and smacked us in the mouth at our crib and we took that very much personally.
"As a competitor, and Bryce being our brother and the head of our snake, we obviously want to rally around him and make sure he has the support that he needs, going into a very emotional game.
"That's definitely going to have some impact, but the fact they beat us at home trumps every other thing."
