MELBOURNE (FIBA World Championship) - Australian star Andrew Bogut has committed to playing for the Boomers in the forthcoming Ramsay Shield against New Zealand and at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
The 7ft power forward/center, who was outstanding at the Athens Olympics in 2004, is coming off an excellent rookie campaign with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. The Melbourne-born 21-year-old hasn't played on home soil since 2002 and is anxious to face the Tall Blacks in both Hobart and his home town during the four-game series next month.
"It's very exciting to come home and have the support of the whole of Australia and try to hopefully sell-out Vodafone Arena (Melbourne), which we should," Bogut told Sportal in Australia.
Bogut played 82 regular-season games and then five post-season contests for the Bucks.
"I've taken a couple of weeks off, probably two weeks now and I want to start training already," Bogut said.
"I just get so bored, doing nothing. It's really exciting for me, especially for some family who don't have a chance to come over to the States and watch me play and some friends who I went to school with.
"I can hopefully get them all tickets and it will be special for me to have those people come and watch me."
The Ramsay Shield is a tournament which honours Oceania basketball pioneer Al Ramsay. It begins with two games in New Zealand on July 12 and 14, before the teams head to Hobart on July 17 and Melbourne on July 19.
By PA Sport