Andrew Bogut On Retirement: My Body Was Hanging by a Thread

Australian NBA legend Andrew Bogut has announced his retirement from professional basketball after a 15 year career.

Andrew Bogut was drafted No.1 by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005 NBA Draft He also went on to represent the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

He was the first Australian to be drafted with the first pick, paving the way for Australians in the NBA. He was followed by Kyrie Irving in 2011 and Ben Simmons in 2016.

Andrew Bogut had hoped to continue playing through to next years’ Tokyo Olympics, but his body couldn’t handle it anymore.

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The 36 year old returned to his native Australia in 2018 to play with the Sydney Kings. However, even with the easier NBL schedule, he wasn’t able to return to full fitness.

“The decision hasn’t been an easy one, but I think it is the right decision. The decision that I made and where I will be signing for next season is absolutely nowhere. I will be retiring from professional basketball, effective immediately,” Bogut said.

He was named the NBL’s MVP in 2019 as he led the Kings to a grand final appearance. However he required surgery on back and ankle injuries. His final professional game was in the NBL finals series, which were abandoned due to Covid-19.

“The last two years have been a real challenge for me just to get out of bed in the morning some days, let alone go to a training session or a game,” Bogut said. 

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“The body, probably from 2018 onwards, was hanging by a thread.

“It was real challenging and the from the 2019-20 season that thread was completely frayed and in little pieces. It was real frustrating for me.”

Bogut won the NBA Championship once; in 2015 with the Golden State Warriors.