SYDNEY (FIBA World Championship) - Australia's number one National Basketball Association (USA) star, Andrew Bogut, has gone on the attack to refute claims by a leading Australian sports coach that basketball is boring.
In his home town of Melbourne ahead of the Australian Boomers preparation for the FIBA World Championship, Bogut responded strongly to comments by legendary Australian rules football coach Kevin Sheedy.
In relation to new possession tactics being employed in Australian rules, a game that has traditionally been an attacking sport, Sheedy claimed that his sport had no room for such "basketball crap."
Bogut, renowned in Australia for speaking his mind on any issue, was in no doubt how to respond to this.
"Basketball is not crap. It is played right around the world. It is probably the number two sport in the world behind soccer. If it was crap, every country wouldn't be playing it."
Bogut was speaking at the launch of the Resi Mortgage Test Series, the Australian leg of the 4 game Al Ramsay shield competition between the Australian Boomers and the New Zealand Tall Blacks, to be played from the 12th to the 19th of July.
With basketball making a resurgence in Australia after several years of stagnation, Bogut is keen to capitilise on this renewed interest with a strong showing against New Zealand.
"It's very exciting to come home and have the support of the whole of Australia and try to hopefully sell-out Vodafone Arena, which we should." Bogut said.
"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."
With tickets to the series expected to sell quickly, there are plenty of Australians who do not find basketball dull.
As for basketball being a boring, possession game, the last word is best left for Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze.
"That is not 'basketball crap', it is AFL (Australian rules) crap!"
Paul Kennedy
FIBA Official Correspondent in Australia