Harvey Lister, the AEG Ogden supremo, was a key player in luring Andrew Bogut to the Sydney Kings

THERE was plenty of fanfare this week when it emerged that basketball legend Andrew Bogut had signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Kings. And it was a Brisbane businessman that sealed the deal.

Harvey Lister is a former Brisbane Bullets owner and remains passionate about the game.

THERE was plenty of fanfare this week when it emerged that basketball legend Andrew Bogut had signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Kings.

The Melbourne native returns to Australia to energise the team after 13 seasons with the NBA in America, where he helped take the Golden State Warriors to a championship in 2015.

Less well known is the fact that it was key players in Brisbane who worked quietly behind the scenes to make it all happen.

Andrew Bogut after signing a two year deal to play with the Sydney Kings in the NBL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Chief among them is stadiums kingpin Harvey Lister, the AEG Ogden supremo who snared the Kings in early 2016.

Lister, who sealed the deal with Bogut in a phone call at the weekend, is a former Brisbane Bullets owner who remains passionate about the game.

Another Brisbane bizoid, Jeff Van Groningen, proved crucial in making the initial overture several months ago to the 33-year-old centre.

Van Groningen, an ex-Broncos general manager and one-time policy adviser to former Sport Minister Steve Dickson, now serves as MD of the Kings.

Legal and comms teams in Queensland rounded out the coup to snare Bogut, who is understood to be on a salary of about $1 million.

That’s far less than the estimated $150 million he pulled in during his time with the NBA so it obviously wasn’t financial motives which lured him back Down Under.

Family considerations were paramount. But he’ll also pick up a 10 per cent stake in the team when he retires and have a chance to acquire as much as 50 per cent.

Earlier this year, Lister put coach Andrew Gaze on notice that the injury-stricken team with an 11-17 record had to at least reach the play-offs or else.

Who knows? Bogut might just help Gaze keep his job.

STRANGELY AT PEACE

GOLD Coast bizoid Jordan Malouf seemed remarkably at ease yesterday even after it emerged he and his company will have to cough up $1.7 million in fines and refunds.

“We are getting phenomenal results for our customers,’’ he maintained when your diarist rang for a chat.

The Federal Court found Malouf and his “credit repair’’ outfit Malouf Group Enterprises made false and misleading representations and engaged in unconscionable conduct over a two-year period through late 2015.

ASIC alleged that the group falsely told consumers that negative credit ratings could be erased and some credit ratings were actually fine.

The court agreed, denouncing tactics used to induce consumers to enter contracts as “disturbing and unconscionable”. It described the conduct as “cynical and calculated”.

The company will now pay a $400,000 fine, while Malouf himself will cough up $100,000. Another $1.1 million will go to refund consumers and $100,000 for ASIC’s legal costs.

Malouf told City Beat yesterday that his firm, which now trades as Credit Wash, had struck a settlement deal with ASIC and fully co-operated with the watchdog, which launched legal action in the middle of last year.

“You learn and live and move on. These things do happen,’’ he said.