The Australian basketball world has been waiting to see whether Andrew Bogut was going to ‘call it a day’ or stick around for one last season of basketball and a shot at Olympic glory.
And the answer to that question is set to come tomorrow at 10 am AEST on the ‘Boguey-man’s’ new podcast, Rogue Bogues.
🚨Upcoming Emergency Podcast🚨
Breaking announcement by @andrewbogut on where he will be signing for the upcoming season 🏀🏀🏀10am AEST tomorrow.
Exclusively on the @RogueBogues Podcast!— Rogue Bogues (@RogueBogues) November 29, 2020
The 15 year NBA veteran and championship winner has an ownership stake waiting for him with the Sydney Kings when he finally does retire, however, there is speculation he may forgo that option to sign elsewhere, sparked by a tweet with the interesting use of the word ‘were’ released by Sydney Kings owner Paul Smith:
Don’t @ me. Bogues is his own person, wherever Andrew chooses to play they will be lucky to have him, as were @SydneyKings. https://t.co/mBaJtsQjtG
— Paul Smith (@psmithtse) November 29, 2020
The writing has, possibly, been on the wall for Sydney Kings fans since July when Bogut put his $5 million dollar Beach Road mansion on the market and moved with his family to his native Melbourne.
While a return home to Melbourne would potentially make sense for Bogut, it doesn’t seem to be a likely landing spot with both Melbourne team rosters seemingly set for 2020-21.
United have been focused on finding a “Josh Boone” type import big while holding out hopes that if the coronavirus blocks basketball from re-starting in Lithuania, somehow, current training player and Australian Boomer Jock Landale might be available to sign.
Their cross-town rivals South East Melbourne Phoenix have also just forked out on acquiring kiwi big man Yanni Wetzell and would be unlikely to fit both into the salary cap.
With the NBL waters looking murky for Bogut there is some precedent for a look to his ancestral homeland, Croatia.
In fact, Bogut was close signing on with a Croatian team prior to accepting a scholarship to play at the University of Utah when Bogut turned down a 2 million dollar offer from Cibona Zagreb (Croatia) after winning tournament MVP at the FIBA Junior World Basketball Championships in 2003.
A young Bogut idolized Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, so playing in the Croatian professional league may prove just as appealing as playing the NBL has been for the savvy centre.
The HIT Premijer Liga is the top Croatian league, dominated by the European Powerhouse, Cibona, that has won 19 of the league’s 28 championships and also plays in the respected Adriatic league.
With no talk of an NBL signing, the unlikelihood of another NBA stint, and questions around Euroleague… could this be retirement or a major “swerve” and could we see the man who just so happens to refer to himself as “Rogue Bogues” return to the Sydney Kings after all?