Veteran big mahn Andrew Bogut has quite unexpectedly withdrawn himself from the remainder of the currently on-going NBA season, citing a slew of personal reasons.
Bogut was last contracted to the Los Angeles Lakers, the fifth NBA franchise he has played for in his storied career, but was released from his contract by the Lakers in January.
It was expected that Bogut would pick up a contract with a playoff-contending side looking to bolster its defensive stocks ahead of the NBA post-season which begins in April.
However, a litany of personal issues has forced Bogut to opt out of the remainder of the season to spend time in Australia with his family, following the death of his grandfather in February, and his wife’s high-risk pregnancy.
Bogut explained his decision in a post to Twitter earlier this morning.
https://twitter.com/andrewbogut/status/978737135866925056
I have decided not to return to the NBA for the remainder of the 2017/18 for a number of reasons.
I had returned to Australia in February for the death of my Grandfather, Mile Bogut, may he R.I.P.
On top of that my wife’s pregnancy with our second child was diagnosed as a very high-risk pregnancy. She will not be able to travel to the USA, so I decided to stay in Australia through the pregnancy, rather than signing a 10-day contract/contract to finish the season/playoffs.
I thank those teams that reached out and inquired.
This was a decision which has been up in the air for the past few months, but ultimately, I decided being home and around as much as possible during this period was the best thing for my family.
I am still working out and staying in shape, and will be ready for training camp for the 2018/19 season.
Thanks to all the fans out there for the continued support!
Should Bogut find a home with another NBA franchise, the 2018/19 NBA season will be the 33-year-old’s 14th, with Australia’s first-ever overall number one draft pick’s rookie season coming in 2005 with Milwaukee.
