14
Sep
NBL Pre-Season
Bogut denies Kings targeted McGee
avier Cooks of the Kings warms up with Kings assistant coach Andrew Bogut during the 2025 NBL Blitz match between Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings at AIS Arena on August 28, 2025 in Canberra, Australia.(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images.
Andrew Bogut rejects Illawarra claims the Kings used illegal tactics to target JaVale McGee.
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Sydney Kings assistant coach Andrew Bogut has hit back at Illawarra’s accusations the Kings used illegal tactics to guard Hawks marquee NBA signing JaVale McGee during a private scrimmage, reports Matt Logue and Mick Randall of CODE Sports.
Bogut took to social media to respond to CODE Sports’ exclusive report detailing the Hawks’ frustration with how the Kings guarded their seven-foot superstar at Hoops Capital last Saturday.
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum alleged Sydney players were getting under McGee’s legs and body with questionable off the ball tactics putting the NBA veteran in a potentially dangerous position.
Read the full article at CODE Sports
Tatum warned the league he will prepare a video dirt file to protect their star signing.
The Kings didn’t want to engage in a war of words with the Hawks when contacted on Tuesday, but acknowledged they were blooding 25-year-old hard-nosed forward Hunter Goodrich against McGee and no concerns were raised with them on the night. Goodrich - who stands at 6’7 - had been playing NBL1 for the Norths Bears following a US college stint with California Baptist University.
Bogut also strongly denied the Kings, or any team, would target a player in a pre-season scrimmage.
“Wrong. If there was a tad bit of journalistic research you would have found you have a Sydney Kings player who is playing for an NBL contract (and playing with 110% effort) and trying to make a roster, playing against a guy who was clearly tired after getting off an international flight and reportedly only recently recovered from pneumonia,” Bogut tweeted.
“To think any team playing a pre-season game would ‘target’ a player is insane. “Let’s wait til the actual season starts before we start with the ‘scandal’ BS.”
The Kings and Hawks first meeting of NBL26 isn’t until round 9 on Sunday, November 16 at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.
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