Aussies in NBA: Will Bogut remain a Warrior in 2017?
It's no surprise if Andrew Bogut remains with Golden State after this season, and Sam Amick's Q&A session with Bogut proved that this is indeed the case.
During the exclusive interview, the Golden State center talked about the Warriors' motivation for their season success, the way Curry has elevated his game this year, and how the Spurs were the building blocks for what the Warriors are accomplishing now.
On the Spurs being the forerunner of Golden State's success
“They’re obviously what we were building to before we won the championship. Their ball movement, they’ve got team-first guys, they’ve got no guys that are me-guys on that team, who are big into stats and all that kind of stuff. We were trying to emulate what they were doing. Obviously (Warriors head coach) Steve (Kerr) had played there, he’d worked with Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) before, and that was what we were trying to emulate."
The speed at which things came together was however, unexpected. "So we didn’t expect it to happen as fast as it did for us, but it did, and we’ve got the utmost respect for Popovich and their whole franchise in general for the way they conduct themselves. They’re professional. They generally weed out guys who aren’t high character and guys who don’t want to buy into their system. That’s kind of what we’re about as well.”
On Festus, enjoying the moment and more
More importantly, Bogut spoke about teammate Festus Ezeli's blossoming skills, the need to enjoy the moment, and his own desire to remain with Golden State, should things work out.
"Look, you never know (what will happen). You never take any of these days or seasons for granted. Things can change in a heartbeat. But I’m enjoying this moment. I didn’t even know if I’d be playing at this point in my career, to be honest, with some of the issues I’ve had. The two falls that I’ve had, with the ankle and the elbow, I didn’t think I’d get to 11 years to be quite honest. And I feel very, very good… Everything else will take care of itself."
“Festus is eventually going to be a full-time starter in this league. It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s after I’m gone or whether he goes to another team. Who knows? But he has the opportunity to do that, and he has the talent and the work ethic to do it. So I think I have another couple of years here, and I’ll continue to be a professional whatever direction they go and see what happens. But right now, I’m enjoying obviously being a starter on this team and I’m hoping to milk that for as long as they pay me (laughs)."
Bogut on remaining with Golden State beyond 2017
“Look, we’ll definitely have the discussion (with management this summer about a possible extension for Bogut). There’s no doubt about it. I’m not a greedy guy… I know at what point in my career I am, and I definitely want some stability and to remain in the same place if I can. Obviously this is a great team we have going, and I want to remain here. There’s no doubt about that. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’d love to stay. I’d love to never be a free agent… I’m happy to stay here if it’s good for both parties, and we’ll see where we’re at."
It's hard to find a consistent winning culture anywhere, and the Warriors seem to be built along unselfish, team-first lines that could very well breed long-term championship aspirations, much like what the San Antonio Spurs are doing. It's too early to tell, but Bogut could potentially remain in a Golden State jersey for the rest of his NBA career.
Don't forget to read Sam Amick's full interview with Andrew Bogut for the details.