‘Brutally honest’ basketball star Andrew Bogut building podcast empire off the court

Talking comes naturally to the basketball star, who says recording his own thoughts and chatting about his passions has kept him occupied in retirement.

Former NBA player Andrew Bogut has built a podcast empire. ‘I like to think outside the box and like doing quirky things,’ he says. Picture: Adam Yip

Andrew Bogut doesn’t lack for opinions, and isn’t afraid to voice them.

Or as the basketball star says when explaining why he started what is becoming a burgeoning podcast empire in retirement: “I like to talk shit. I can be blunt and brutally honest.”

That combination has been successful in hooking in the listeners since Bogut recorded and launched his first “Rogue Bogues” podcast last December. What started as a series reminiscing about the highs and lows of a long career, ranging from his struggles as a teenager in suburban Melbourne to an NBA championship in 2015, has turned into a multifaceted operation.

Rogue Bogues (a play on his longstanding nickname) has morphed from his “My Journey” autobiographical episodes to also include a weekly podcast on local and US basketball, a regular chat about his passion of muscle cars and a just-created “in conversation” series that will see Bogut interview celebrities and ordinary Australians he finds interesting.

Bogut, 36, tells The Australian the episodes across the four categories are attracting roughly 10,000 listeners each or about 250,000 in total — and that he has ambition for more. “The numbers are higher than I expected them to be (but) I’m greedy and I’m competitive and I would like to get to 1 million by the end of the year,” he says.

Bogut, 36, has been a constant presence on social media, and is quick to share opinions on Twitter on several matters, ranging from COVID-19 lockdowns to the political scene, sporting administrators and many things in between.

But he says a podcast allows him to express himself more, and for there to be less chance to be misunderstood or taken out of context. It also explains why he prefers a podcast to writing an autobiography.

“I like to think outside the box and like doing quirky things. I’m blunt, brutally honest and can be sarcastic. But when you put it into print it’s consumed through the mind’s eye of the reader.

“On a podcast you can hear the tone of voice. You might be saying something serious but then you laugh, so there’s that context. In print you’re at the peril of that reader.

“I wanted my own forum to do things, to give long-length answers, I am controversial and I like to say what I think and feel. It’s hard to get that across in 280 characters on Twitter. With this I can relay my responses in detail and then people can understand me better.”

Bogut spent about 15 years at the top level of the NBA in the US, peaking with that 2015 title win with the Golden State Warriors. There were injuries, comebacks, trades and other big moments like being the top draft pick in 2005.

But his retirement from the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League last year coincided with COVID-19.

Suddenly an athlete accustomed to routine had a lot of free time — and the podcasts helped fill the void.

Bogut purchased his own equipment after some tips from Brisbane Lions AFL player Mitch Robinson, a prolific podcaster, roped in a producer in the US and enlisted his personal assistant to help splice short soundbites to post on social media promoting new episodes. He says the “My Journey” series may run to 30 or 40 episodes — he interviews old coaches and teammates — and has high hopes for the conversational series, which started last week featuring the family behind the I Cook Foods business suing the Victorian government for $50 million after its controversial closure in 2019.

“I like to talk shit and I love engaging in conversations about different fields, hearing phenomenal stories and stories of resilience. It is awesome for me. As much as it is for the listener I get a kick out of it as well.”

Otherwise, Bogut says he “would coach tomorrow if he could” but with children soon starting school he doesn’t want to move far from hometown Melbourne.

He says he may get sponsors for the podcast. “I’ve got offers but I want to let it organically build. I’m not going to become a millionaire from podcasting but I do want to break even eventually.”

Originally published as ‘Brutally honest’ basketball star Andrew Bogut building podcast empire off the court