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An ugly dispute has arisen in the world of Australian basketball involving former Golden State Warriors center, Andrew Bogut. And “ugly” is perhaps a doubly-apt word for it.

During the National Basketball League championship series – the final stage of the country’s top-tier basketball league’s season – Bogut has been the subject of formal complaints and allegations of body shaming, following an on-court rivalry that has extended beyond the games being played.

The incident centers on an exchange between Bogut, who serves as a co-owner and assistant coach of the Sydney Kings, and Adelaide 36ers owner Grant Kelley. The confrontation occurred following Game 2 of the championship series, when the two were involved in a verbal altercation in a tunnel area after the game. Kelley alleged that Bogut directed comments at his physical appearance, including remarks about his weight.

 

Bogut’s Modern Social Media Fight

The 36ers subsequently issued a formal statement, in which they have confirmed they had lodged a complaint with the NBL regarding what they described as “persistent and repeated personal attacks” directed toward Kelley. The organization stated that it considers body shaming a serious issue, and indicated it would pursue the matter further with league officials and other regulatory bodies after the conclusion of the series.

Bogut has disputed aspects of the allegation, maintaining that the confrontation was initiated by Kelley and characterizing the exchange differently. Reports indicate Bogut said Kelley approached him in a restricted postgame area and that he responded verbally during the interaction.

As is the modern way, the situation is at least now in part playing out on social media. Following Game 3 of the series, Bogut posted a message referencing Peter Griffin from Family Guy, widely interpreted as a further personal remark directed at Kelley. He has further retweeted messages of support – with the message being, Kelley should toughen up.

 

Bogut’s NBA Career

Bogut has returned to his homeland following the conclusion of a long and successful NBA playing career. It began when he was selected first overall in the 2005 Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, and he went on to play 14 NBA seasons, appearing in 706 regular-season games and establishing himself primarily as a defensive center and interior facilitator.

Bogut entered the league and was immediately given a significant role. In his rookie season, he appeared in all 82 games and started 77, averaging 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds while finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. His peak years with the Bucks came between 2008 and 2011 – during the 2009-10 season, Bogut averaged 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, earning All-NBA Third Team honors and finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting. That season also included career highs in multiple categories and marked the only time he was selected to an All-NBA team – later, in 2010-11, he would lead the NBA in blocks per game (2.6).

In March 2012, Bogut was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with Stephen Jackson in exchange for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown. As such, he was there as the Warriors began their semi-dynasty. Starting 67 games in the 2014-15 season, Bogut averaged 6.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while contributing to Golden State’s league-leading defense, being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team that season accordingly as the Warriors went on to win the NBA championship. His role in that team centered on rim protection, screening and facilitating offense from the high post, as the counterpunch to the shooting of the Splash Brothers.

 

Back To The Warriors

After leaving Golden State in 2016, Bogut had brief stints with multiple teams. He was traded to the then-competitive Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2016, where he appeared in 26 games before being retraded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and later waived. He then signed with the Cavaliers in March 2017, but played only one minute due to a leg injury before being released. The following year, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 24 games as a reserve center before again being waived in midseason, returning to Australia to play before returning to the Warriors for the 2018–19 season. In his final NBA campaign, he appeared in 11 regular-season games and participated in the postseason as a limited-rotation player.

Over the course of his career, Bogut posted averages of 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, along with a 53.5% career field goal percentage.

Mark Deeks I am continuously intrigued by the esoterica and minutiae of all the aspects of building a basketball team. I want to understand how to build the best basketball teams possible. No, I don’t know why, either. More about Mark Deeks

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