Andrew Bogut retires from professional basketball, will miss Tokyo Olympics

Australian basketball legend Andrew Bogut has retired from the sport, citing “mental anguish” as one reason why he’s walking away now.

Andrew Bogut is done.

Australian legend Andrew Bogut has retired from professional basketball, effective immediately.

The 36-year-old announced his decision on his podcast Rogue Bogues, ruling himself out of next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

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Although Bogut hoped to wear the green and gold again, back pain and surgery on his foot convinced him it was time to give his body a rest.

“The decision hasn’t been an easy one, but I think it is the right decision. The decision that I made and where I will be signing for next season is absolutely nowhere — I’ll be retiring from professional basketball effective immediately,” Bogut said.

“We are in late November now, I would have made this decision earlier if it wasn’t for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. I was hoping to get to the 2020 Olympics and call it the day after that as it would have been a great accolade to get a fourth Olympics but it’s just not meant to be.

“I can’t physically and mentally get to 2021 with the way my body has been.

“I could get there with a lot of painkillers and mental anguish but it’s just not worth it.

“I’m really starting to value my health away from the court and my health when I’m 40, 45 and 50.

“Some people might say it’s only six months of training but I’m at a point where I just can’t do it.”

Bogut has called it quits.

Bogut is one of the greatest basketballers Australia has ever produced and was weighing up his future after finishing the last NBL season with the Sydney Kings.

He was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and started his career in America with the Milwaukee Bucks, then went to the Golden State Warriors, where he won a championship in 2015 as Steph Curry and Co. toppled LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals.

Bogut then had short stints with the Cavs and LA Lakers before returning home to play for the Kings.

The Aussie superstar represented the Boomers at three Olympics but a fourth Games was a step too far, the veteran revealing he’s had trouble just getting out of bed in recent years.

“I’m not going to lie; the last two years have been a real challenge for me just to get out of bed in the mornings let alone going to a training session or a game,” Bogut said.

“The body from 2018 onwards was hanging by a thread.

“In the 2019/2020 season that thread was completely frayed and in little pieces. It was beyond hanging by a thread.

“It was really frustrating for me, but this off-season I’ve been able to get up in the mornings and walk pain free.”