NBL gives NBA great idea on back of Andrew Bogut’s revolutionary move to Golden State Warriors
NBL CEO Jeremy Loeliger has revealed the NBA’s desire for American players to follow in Andrew Bogut’s footsteps and treat the Australian league as a legitimate career option.
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NBL CEO Jeremy Loeliger has revealed the NBA’s desire for American players to follow in Andrew Bogut’s footsteps and treat the Australian league as a legitimate career option.
Loeliger recently travelled to the US to meet with basketball’s highest ranked officials at the NBA’s headquarters in New York.
He said the league’s bosses were intrigued how Bogut could go from the Sydney Kings to the Golden State Warriors in the same season and contribute during the franchise’s playoff campaign.
According to Loeliger, the NBA sees merit in other players pursuing a stint in Australia before returning for the American post-season.
“They smiled and said, ‘we hadn’t thought about that but if it worked for Andrew it could work for others’,” Loeliger said.
“In the future there are opportunities for other guys who might be getting towards the end of their careers and just don’t have it in them anymore from a physical and desire point of view to play an 82-game regular season in the NBA.
“But they could still add value to a playoff team provided they were match fit and ready to go.
“The NBL could help the player stay fit and injury-free and come back to the NBA.
“I also don’t think that was the NBA playing lip service. No one at the NBA had genuinely thought about it before but it makes a bit of sense.”
Loeliger conceded a stint in Australia wouldn’t suit all players but for the right person it would be hugely beneficial.
He cited the NBL’s shorter season (28 regular season games), strong competition and lifestyle in Australia as major lures.
“Who is to say that a Carmelo Anthony couldn’t look at this model that Bogut has done and think, ‘hang on, that is quite appealing,” he said.
“I could still continue my professional career and potentially come back and win a championship without having to endure the marathon of an 82-game season.”
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