Lowell Cohn: Warriors' Andrew Bogut has no use for civility on the court

OAKLAND

This is about Andrew Bogut. Frankly, about my admiration for him, for his toughness, for what a hard, serious player he is. All this happened at Warriors practice Monday morning. Starts with Steve Kerr because he spoke to media first.

Me: When you were a player in the playoffs and you went to the center for the initial tipoff, did you shake hands or slap hands with the opponent?

Kerr: I think in 15 years, I only started like 17 games. I don’t remember. No, you know what, I started a game in Boston Garden my second year in the league - somebody got hurt. I was with Cleveland. And I went out and Larry Bird came over and gave me a fist bump and said, ‘Good luck, Steve.’ And I almost fainted. Larry Bird knew my name. It was awesome.

Me: The reason I ask is I look at Bogut, who’s a very nice man. He never seems to acknowledge the other center. He stands there and waits for the ball to be thrown up. I think there’s some psychological strategy involved. Have you ever noticed that or talked to him about it?

Kerr: Never noticed it. Never talked to him about it. He motivates himself in a very quiet way. He’s got some rituals he goes through and I guess that’s one of them.

Cut to Bogut, surrounded by microphones and cameras. Here’s my working hypothesis. Some players slap hands with opponents before the tipoff, but Bogut never acknowledges the other center because that center is his enemy. Bogut keeps it impersonal. Unfriendly. Sets the tone.

Me: I noticed when you were playing against Dwight Howard and (Sunday) against (Mason) Plumlee, you don’t seem to acknowledge them or fist bump them. I wonder is there a tactic, is there a strategy involved?

Bogut: Well, they don’t acknowledge me or fist bump me. (Note: Bogut invoked the Johnny-punched-me-first defense.)

Me: I understand that. If they did, would you acknowledge them?

Bogut: You’ve got to ask them that question.

Me: I’m asking you the question.

Bogut: Would I?

Me: Yeah.

Bogut: If they put their fist out …

Me: Why don’t you put yours out?

Bogut: Because in Australia we shake hands. We don’t fist bump.

Me: Do you shake hands with them?

Bogut: No, because they want to fist. It would be a bit confusing. It ends up being like this, so I can’t really.

Bogut showed the confusion - lack of communication - of a fist meeting an open hand.

Bogut: We shake hands like family. We don’t do all the hang-on and all that stuff. And then they want to fist, so you just end up standing there like, ‘Which shake do we do? Do we hug?’ I just let it go. ‘Let’s just play basketball.’ Does that answer your question?

Me: I think you’re having me on.

Bogut: You think?

Me: I do.

Bogut: No, it’s just confusing. There’s a lot of different handshakes, different cultures.

Me: OK, I’m going to ask you another question.

Bogut: Yeah.

Me: When you were playing against Howard, you kept pushing him like this.

I pushed Bogut in his chest. He frowned.

Me: You were pushing him like that.

Bogut: I did?

Me: Yes, you did. And he didn’t like it, and he kept pushing your hand away.

Bogut: Oh yes, I was just trying to tag him for defensive three seconds. Honestly. I just want to feel where he’s at so, if the ball’s on one side, I’m looking at the ball and I want to be able to feel his body. That’s just Defense 101. If I can’t feel him and he slides behind me, I’m getting dunked on.

Me: I understand, but when he slaps your hand and doesn’t like it …

Bogut: I just put it back.

Me: Why do you put it back?

Bogut: Because I want to feel where my offensive player is.

Me: Are you doing the same thing with Plumlee?

Bogut: Yeah. Do the same thing with everybody. When you’re guarding in the paint with defensive three seconds, No. 1, you have to be touching somebody to reset that three-second call. And No. 2, like I said, if I’m looking at the ball, I want to feel where my offensive player is. If I don’t feel where he is, I turn my head, he’s cutting behind me and I try to block his shot.

Me: Last question. Are you annoying?

Bogut: Am I annoying?

Me: On the court.

Bogut: It depends who you ask.

Me: I’m asking you.

Bogut: Possibly, yeah. I’m an asshole, if you want to use that word.

Boing. He sure used that word in what follows.

Me: You are?

Bogut: Yeah, 100 percent.

Me: What makes you one?

Bogut: There’s a bunch of factors. I’m a foreigner, so that’s No. 1. It gets you voted in the top-five dirtiest. I just tell it like it is. I don’t really care what people label me as, and a lot of people label me as that. People that know me know I’m very sarcastic and have a sense of humor, and people that don’t think I’m an asshole.

Another reporter pointed out the Warriors are nice guys and asked if it’s important to have a you-know-what on the team.

Bogut: I mean you need a bit of both. We’ve got a lot of nice guys that me and Draymond (Green) need to protect, guys that don’t like a lot of that conflict. So, we make sure we have their backs at all times. The most successful teams in league history have had a good mix of nice guys, killer-instinct guys, and guys that are physical and not afraid to mix it up.

A third reporter: Has anybody ever called you the A-word during a game?

Bogut, bursting with pride: Yeah. Go to my social media after every game.

For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular, go to the Cohn Zohn at cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.