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Andrew Bogut has announced his retirement from professional basketball.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most successful players in Australian basketball history, Bogut made the announcement Tuesday morning in his Rogues Bogues podcast, choosing to end a 15-year professional career.
It was believed that Bogut, 36, would end his basketball career after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but the Sydney Kings center decided to recall the time earlier.
Bogut mentioned a series of injuries he had to overcome in the offseason, including having his ankle “cleaned”, as well as surgery to relieve sciatica in his back.
“It was not an easy decision, but I think it was the right decision,” Bogut said. “The decision I have made and where I will sign for next season is absolutely nowhere. I will be retiring from professional basketball with immediate effect.
“We are at the end of November now. I would have made that decision sooner without the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. I was hoping to get to the 2020 Olympics and call it the next day, as that would have been a nice reward to get a fourth Olympic, but it just isn’t meant to be.
No.1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Bogut was part of five different teams – the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers – winning an NBA championship, being named to the All Rookie First Team (2006), All-NBA Third Team (2010), All-Defensive Second Team (2015), while also finishing a season as the blocked shots leader (2011).
After an injury-riddled career in the NBA, the Victoria native chose to end his career in the Australian NBL, signing with the Sydney Kings in 2018; won the league’s MVP award in his first season with the team.
In his final season with the Kings, Bogut averaged 8.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, as the team led by Will Weaver chose to withdraw from the 2020 NBL Grand Final due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. .
“I can’t physically and mentally reach 2021 with the way my body has been,” Bogut said.
“I could do it with a lot of pain killers and mental angst, but it’s not worth it.
“I really start to value my health away from the pitch and my health when I’m 40, 45 and 50. Some people might say it’s only six months of training, but I’m at a point where I just “can’t” do it. “
In 14 years in the NBA, Bogut finished with career averages of 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
During his time in the NBA, NBL and with the Australian Senior National Team, Bogut made a name for himself as one of the best passing great men in the history of the sport, while also showing himself a protector of elite rim.
Bogut achieved international stardom at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in 2003, where he led Australia to a gold medal, while walking away with the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. This would lead to a two-year stint at the University of Utah, where as a sophomore Bogut was named Naismith College Player of the Year. His # 4 jersey was retired by Utah in 2006.
In 2005, Bogut became the first of what are now three Australians to be caught with the No.1 pick in an NBA Draft, joining the Bucks. In 2012, Bogut was traded to the Warriors, where he would win an NBA championship, playing a key role for Stephen Curry’s side on their way to the 2015 title.
The 7-footer made short trips to Dallas, Cleveland and with the Los Angeles Lakers, before returning to Australia to be with his wife, who was experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.
Bogut’s NBA career had unfortunately been riddled with abnormal injuries, with the most recent serious diagnosis being a shin fracture in early 2017.
During his first season in the NBL, Bogut appeared in every game for the Kings, but admitted that his health was declining over time.
“I’m not going to lie; the past two years have been a real challenge for me just to get out of bed in the morning, let alone go to a training session or a game,” Bogut said.
“The body from 2018 was hanging by a thread.
“In the 2019-2020 season, this yarn was completely frayed and in small pieces. It was beyond hanging by a thread. It was really frustrating for me, but this off season I was able to get up in the morning and walk painlessly. “
Bogut currently lives in Melbourne and was based in his hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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