Golden State Warriors

Bogut: Playing for national team is more 'pure' than playing professionally

Published Aug. 7, 2015 4:26 p.m. ET

foxsports

For the first time in seven years, Andrew Bogut is suiting up in Australia's green-and-gold duds and competing in a national competition.

Bogut, who has taken time off since his Golden State Warriors won the 2014-15 championship, likened his return to basketball to "starting a car which hasn't been driven for a year or two," according to The Guardian.

Bogut's last serious competition with the men's Australian national team was the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as he sat out the 2012 London Olympics with various injuries.

When asked about the difference between playing for his country and playing in the NBA, Bogut said there was something "pure" about playing for the love of the game and basically no money.

“Guys who play in the national team are doing it for the love of the game because we don’t really get paid to do this," Bogut said. "We all come together for one goal and that’s to beat New Zealand this year and hopefully qualify for the Olympics.

"It’s always great to be playing for the right reasons because when you’re playing professionally there’s so many distractions with money and contracts and guys trying to build their value and get numbers. In the national team it feels much more pure because you’ve got guys playing for the one goal and that’s to win."

(H/t The Guardian.)