Australian basketball’s one-man hype machine — the highs and lows of Bogut’s social media pull
HE’S the biggest signing in NBL history — a game-changer who adds instant credibility to the Sydney Kings. But who is Andrew Bogut? The off-court side of Australia’s greatest NBA export reveals a fascinating and controversial character.
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ANDREW Bogut’s signing for the Sydney Kings will be game-changing for the struggling franchise and the NBL itself.
That should be no surprise: a look at the turnout for his unveiling as a King on Tuesday would tell you that.
The former NBA star is a one-man marketing team which could lift the competition to new heights.
But he also has the power to go nuclear on social media — even if he’s no Donald Trump on this front — and has the potential to influence the NBL in a way no one has before him.
A lover of muscle cars and hater of political correctness, Bogut is a fascinating and divisive athlete who happily courts controversy.
Australia’s greatest NBA export — a title he may only own for a handful more years, going by the career trajectory Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons has taken this year — adds instant credibility to a league which has improved enormously in recent years but has struggled to cut through with mainstream appeal.
Bogut injects that and more.
With nearly 373,000 Twitter follows, his social presence dwarfs that of the competition he now represents — the NBL boasts 46,000 followers, but expect that to rise in the coming months as the Bogut effect takes charge.
In short, he’s a publicity machine.
But away from the basketball court, where the 33-year-old is a powerful defensive presence who instantly transforms the Kings into a championship-calibre team, who is Andrew Bogut and what can fans expect from Australian basketball’s most outspoken star?
Bogut’s Twitter feed is a no-holds-barred insight into one of the greatest Australian athletes since the turn of the century, where he expresses controversial political opinions, engages in banter with his followers and Twitter beef with anyone who crosses him — whether they be faceless keyboard warriors, or fellow Aussie basketball royalty.
The Twitter feud between Bogut and Opals centre Liz Cambage has escalated over the years, with the two stars sniping and chipping away at each other on a regular basis.
What started as playful banter quickly turned nasty.
The 213cm Bogut’s digs at “DJ Cambage” — mocking her fledgling DJ career — have kept the embers burning, and the Opals star said late last year she has “no respect” for the former No.1 NBA draft pick.
“Why does he (Bogut) think that he can say the things he does, why does he think that he can get away with that, and why is he so scared and act like nothing ever happened when I see him face-to-face?” Cambage said of Bogut.
“People act so tough behind computers but when they are face-to-face they’ve got nothing to say.”
DJ Cambage in the house!!!! pic.twitter.com/WyAlLKt5Zo
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) May 24, 2017
Whats your rates? Ill come have you DJ for me as Im VERY bored. I cant use the same methods of payments that Revolver would though....😉 https://t.co/igR6xUUQvw
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) May 24, 2017
Cambage certainly isn’t alone in finding herself in Bogut’s crosshairs.
He unashamedly hates political correctness, and briefly became a driver for the alt-right movement in America when he waded into the murky waters that surrounded the controversial pizzagate controversy two years ago.
Pizzagate is a debunked conspiracy theory promoted by an internet troll which accused US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of being involved in child trafficking.
Bogut appeared to give the wild accusations some credibility with a Twitter post saying “if only one per cent of this #pizzagate scandal is true, all people involved deserve life in prison (or worse)”.
If only 1% of this #pizzagate scandal is true, all people involved deserve life in prison (or worse). #sick
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) November 24, 2016
He later described his post as being “stupid”, but will never back down from having strong opinions — nor should he have to.
On his political views, Bogut has said he’s “far from alt-right and far from crazy left”.
But the bottom line is, Bogut isn’t afraid to speak his mind and he doesn’t care what you think.
And, importantly, he is all in on the Kings.
Bogut has ambitions to grow basketball in Australia, and he revealed at his unveiling on Tuesday that his contract gives him a chance to become a major shareholder of the Kings in the future.
He will have a 10 per cent slice of the Kings once he calls time on his playing career, and has an eye on even bigger prizes.
“There’s no reason that I won’t buy in and put my own money in as well,” Bogut said.
The Bogut hype train has officially pulled into Central Station. And the start of the NBL season, in October, can’t come soon enough.