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"He's a wanker." Andrew Bogut hits back at Stephen A. Smith

Australian NBA player Andrew Bogut pulled no punches when asked about his thoughts on controversial American sports analyst Stephen A. Smith, when he appeared on Australian basketball podcast, Downtown.

Smith, a highly popular ESPN personality has repeatedly lambasted Bogut for his continued injury history and questioned his ability and desire to recover from injury.

When asked by Downtown hosts about his thoughts on Smith, Bogut did not hesitate.

“He is just a wanker, pretty much,” Bogut said.

Smith questioned Bogut’s heart, suggesting that people called him “tin man” behind his back, Smith himself referring to the Warriors centre as “Andrew Bogus.”

Bogut is in fact quite the opposite. Having suffered a range of serious injuries, a couple of freak ones at that, the big man has always fought hard to get back on the court and has never let injuries and the intensity of the NBA affect his physical style of play.

Granted Bogut has had several spells out with injury, his most recent stint on the sidelines came due to a very risky rib injury, which he suffered in a collision with Portland Trailblazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

With Bogut unable to take deep breaths or even sneeze with the injury, doctors advised that playing on could run the risk of the rib to break and puncture his lung.

Whilst the injury kept Bogut out of the Warriors first-round playoff series against the L.A. Clippers, Bogut played 67 of a possible 82 games through the 2013/14 regular season and is widely regarded as one of the cornerstones of the Warriors recent success.

Bogut who has yet to confirm his availability for Australia’s upcoming basketball World Cup in Spain later this year, will undergo further treatment and rehab on the injury before he makes a decision on whether he will suit up for the Boomers.