It's been a while since I have been able to put fingers to my keyboard, with major uni assignments getting the better of me (we all know that feeling). However, I am excited to bring you my final two installments and illustrate some of the most talented big men to not only come out of Australia, but play in the NBA over it's existence. Nobody want's to be the bridesmaid, however, the following player will have no shame in what he has achieved when he finally decides to hang up the boots once and for all. The following will demonstrate what you can achieve, even when major set backs are thrown your way. Enjoy!!
Number 2. Andrew Bogut
Born: November 28, 1984 in Melbourne, Victoria
Height: 213cm
Position: Centre/Power Forward
Drafted: 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
NBA Career Stats:
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 21 | MIL | NBA | PF | 82 | 77 | 28.6 | 3.9 | 7.4 | .533 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.9 | 7.4 | .536 | 1.5 | 2.4 | .629 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 9.4 |
| 2006-07 | 22 | MIL | NBA | C | 66 | 66 | 34.2 | 5.3 | 9.5 | .553 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .200 | 5.3 | 9.5 | .556 | 1.7 | 2.9 | .577 | 2.5 | 6.3 | 8.8 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 12.3 |
| 2007-08 | 23 | MIL | NBA | C | 78 | 78 | 34.9 | 6.0 | 11.7 | .511 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 6.0 | 11.6 | .515 | 2.4 | 4.1 | .587 | 3.1 | 6.6 | 9.8 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 14.3 |
| 2008-09 | 24 | MIL | NBA | C | 36 | 33 | 31.2 | 5.1 | 8.8 | .577 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 8.8 | .577 | 1.6 | 2.7 | .571 | 3.3 | 7.0 | 10.3 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 11.7 | |
| 2009-10 | 25 | MIL | NBA | C | 69 | 69 | 32.3 | 6.9 | 13.2 | .520 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 6.9 | 13.2 | .521 | 2.2 | 3.4 | .629 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 15.9 |
| 2010-11 | 26 | MIL | NBA | C | 65 | 65 | 35.3 | 5.6 | 11.4 | .495 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 5.6 | 11.4 | .497 | 1.5 | 3.3 | .442 | 3.1 | 8.0 | 11.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 12.8 |
| 2011-12 | 27 | MIL | NBA | C | 12 | 12 | 30.3 | 5.1 | 11.3 | .449 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 5.1 | 11.3 | .452 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .609 | 1.8 | 6.5 | 8.3 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 11.3 |
| 2012-13 | 28 | GSW | NBA | C | 32 | 32 | 24.6 | 2.6 | 5.8 | .451 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 2.6 | 5.7 | .448 | 0.6 | 1.2 | .500 | 2.1 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 5.8 |
| Career | NBA | 440 | 432 | 32.1 | 5.2 | 10.1 | .519 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .087 | 5.2 | 10.0 | .522 | 1.7 | 3.0 | .572 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 9.2 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 12.2 |
Andrew Bogut didn't have a straightforward path to stardom. Born to Croatian immigrants Mišo and Ankica (née Jurišić), Bogut grew up in suburban Melbourne playing AFL and tennis in addition to basketball. Basketball was always his passion but he hit a stumbling block as a 15-year-old, when he was cut from his local representative team. That experience apparently drove him to improve and through numerous hours on the hardwood, managed to improve his game significantly. He up-skilled so quickly, that he later went on to attend the Australian Institute of Sport, with whom he would tour the United States in 2001 and 2002. In his last season at the AIS, he averaged 29 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game while competing against grown men in the SEABL competition. He went on to lead the Australian team that won the 2003 FIBA Junior World Championships, and was named the tournament MVP.
With success at the international stage, he decided to attend american university and play for the Utah. As a freshman at Utah in 2003–04, Bogut averaged 12.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, and was named Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West Conference. As a sophomore, Bogut averaged 20.4 points, 12.2 rebounds (second in Division I), 2.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks, and shot 62.0% from the field (eighth in Division I). He also led Division I in double-doubles, with 26. With playing so well, Andrew decide to enter the NBA draft after his sophomore season and was taken with the number 1 pick, by the Milwaukee Bucks. In the process, he become the first Australian to ever be taken number 1 in the best competition in the world.
Bogut entered the NBA with an instant impact. He finished his rookie season with the Bucks averaging 9.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg. He was named to the 2005–06 All-Rookie First Team and finished third in votes for the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. His sophomore season in the league was cut short after spraining his left foot and being put on the injured reserve for the final 15 games. He had previously played in 153 consecutive games. He showed improvement in his second year in the league as he averaged 12.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Bogut is considered one of the best passing centres in the league, having averaged 3.0 assists per game in the 2006–07 season. In the 2007–08 NBA season, he showed career highs in points (14.3), rebounds (9.8), blocks (1.7), steals (0.8) and minutes (34.9) per game. Also in 2007–08, Bogut started a career high 78 times. On 3 April 2010, during a game against the Phoenix Suns in Milwaukee, Bogut suffered a major right elbow and hand injury after falling hard to the floor following a slam dunk. (You can view the video here, don't watch if you get squeamish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejfPWH5MPME). The next day the Bucks announced he had suffered a dislocated right elbow, broken right hand, and a wrist sprain. Bogut had been having a break-out 2009–2010 season, averaging 15.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game (2nd in the League). He was named to the 2009–10 All-NBA Third Team following this break-out season and became the first Australian to earn All-NBA honors.
On 13 March 2012, Bogut and was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He sat out the 2012–13 preseason due to injury, but played in four of the first five regular season games, averaging just 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, he was struggling with fitness and declared he would sit out indefinitely. He received Regenokine treatment to aid his recovery and it was also revealed that his procedure in April was more serious micro-fracture surgery than previously thought. Bogut returned on 28 January 2013, recording 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks in a road win over the Toronto Raptors. On 2 May 2013, in game six of the first round of the playoffs, Bogut scored career playoff highs of 14 points and 21 rebounds.
Even though Andrew has had a number of set backs with injury and people have stated he has not lived up to his potential, he continues to produce great statistics and strives to be the best NBA player he can. With that in mind, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors on October 25, 2013.
