Kings happy to keep Bogut

VOWING not to pressure Andrew Bogut as he decides whether to play on, Sydney Kings owner Paul Smith says he’ll be just as happy with the veteran Boomers centre assuming his part ownership of the NBL franchise if he retires.

The former NBA star will be 36 in November and is off contract following two seasons with Sydney.

A big question mark hangs over his future, especially now that the coronavirus crisis has forced the Olympic Games postponement to next year, as well as shutting down the NBA and NBL.

The 2020 Olympics were looming as Bogut’s international — and possibly career — swan song and last week he raised doubts over whether he would continue for one more year after battling through an injury-dogged NBL season.

“It’s a coin flip at the moment. There’s a lot of crazy going on in the world right now,” Bogut told The Basketball Show.

“We don’t know what’s going on — with the NBA, the NBL — it would’ve been ideal if it was played this year because I’m not getting any younger and it’s getting harder and harder to get out of bed every day.”

Bogut has played a big part in improving the fortunes of the Kings over the past two seasons, after they had made the finals just once in the eight seasons since returning to the NBL. He won the NBL MVP award in 2018-19 and while back issues hampered him at stages of the recent season, he remained an influential figure, especially in the first two matches of the abandoned grand final series.

Asked about trying to get Bogut to play one more season for the Kings, Smith said. “Andrew makes those decisions, we don’t.

“He’s on record where he contemplated his health, his age and the environment we’re all living in now.’’