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Basketball star Andrew Bogut believes the Boomers’ Olympic performance will go a long way to revealing how bright Australian basketball’s future is.
With the sport still reeling domestically from the Sydney Kings’ death and Brisbane Bullets’ fight for NBL survival, NBA star Bogut is hoping the Boomers can be basketball’s good news story in August.
Bogut says the Boomers have lofty ambitions of a top four place.
“Obviously we haven’t had our core group together, but I think we should definitely aim for a top four finish,” Bogut said.
“International basketball is something else. Everyone in an Olympic pool is fighting for their life and it’s going to really test where the future of Australian basketball is at.
“I think (the future is) bright, but I think we’ve still got a long way to go to be one of the best nations year in, year out.”
The giant centre is currently sidelined from playing for the Boomers, unable to take the court until he has finished negotiating a new NBA contract with his club Milwaukee.
Negotiations cannot get under way until July 1, meaning he will miss the two-match series against New Zealand starting in Auckland tomorrow night.
Bogut was one of several Nike-sponsored athletes, including Socceroo Mark Bresciano and Richmond AFL star Matthew Richardson, who helped launch the world’s biggest one-day running event in Melbourne today.
Melbourne will be among 25 cities to host a 10km Nike Plus Human Race on August 31 – an event expected to draw one million runners worldwide.
Bogut’s return to his hometown Melbourne for a break has coincided with the problems dogging the NBL, with the Sydney Kings no more and the Brisbane Bullets facing extinction unless an owner can be found by Monday.
He said the NBL needed to connect better with people at grassroots level to boost interest in the sport.
“For the NBL to get back where it was, I think it has to get more involved in the schools, more involved with the kids, get back to grassroots level,” he said.
“Basketball’s one of the highest participation sports at a junior level.
“Something’s gone wrong if those kids those kids aren’t transferring … to the NBL.
“They don’t have that touch and feel relationship with players in the NBL. If we get that back, I think it could be fine.”
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