NBA veteran Andrew Bogut Bogut won’t be back with the Australian side Sydney Kings next season. Bogut, who won an NBA title with Golden State Warriors back in 2015, announced on Monday that he will leave the team after deciding not to sign a contract extension.
Bogut helped Kings to get to a 20–8 record in Australian National Basketball League in 2019/20 while earning All-NBL Second Team honors in the process. Kings also advanced to the “Grand Final” in playoffs, but lost the series to Perth Wildcats in three games.
According to the 35-year-old, his decision is influenced by current insecurities in sports due to coronavirus pandemic.
“I have decided not to sign with the Sydney Kings, or any professional sporting team for that matter for the time being,” Bogut wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “With everything going on in the world, the future does not look too clear, most notably in regards to sporting leagues worldwide.”
While Bogut doesn’t know when and where he’ll play next, the Australian reiterated that this doesn’t mean he will retire from professional basketball.
“This is by no means a retirement note, but simply saying any concrete decisions are too hard to be made at this point in time,” he added.
Andrew Bogut, who was the No.1 overall pick in 2005, had a successful NBA career during which he played with Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers, among other franchises. Besides a ring with Golden State, Bogut also had All-NBA Third Team selection and won several defensive honors during his time in the league.
Bogut previously said that he wants to retire from basketball after taking part with Australia’s national basketball team at Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. But the Olympics were postponed for 2021 due to health concerns, which is why he will probably wait until making the final decision about his future.
