Tensions in the NBL grand final series have spilled off court, with Andrew Bogut accused of X-rated, body-shaming outbursts at Grant Kelley before doubling down on social media.
The flashpoint came after the Adelaide 36ers’ dramatic game two win over the Sydney Kings on Friday, when Bogut and Kelley reportedly came face to face in the players’ race.
According to reports, the former NBA champion unleashed a ‘tirade of profanities’ at Kelley following the one-point loss, with tensions boiling over in the immediate aftermath of the buzzer-beater.
‘He looked at me and I looked back and said ‘I’ve got nothing to say to you, mate’, no swearing, and he goes ‘get f***ed you fat f***ing c***’,’ Kelley told News Corp.
‘He’s a nasty piece of work.’
Bogut responded, accusing the Adelaide owner of starting the confrontation.
Adelaide 36ers lodged a formal complaint with NBL over “persistent and repeated personal attacks” from Sydney Kings assistant coach
Grant Kelley responded publicly, addressing weight comments and criticising Bogut’s conduct after confrontation during NBL grand final series clashes
‘I didn’t go to him. He sought me out. I talked shit back as he waddled off,’ he said.
‘He is now playing victim as only he can. That is the last I will comment on the stupidity of this whole interaction.’
The situation escalated further in the third match of the five-game series in Sydney on Sunday.
A social media user claimed Bogut called Kelley a ‘fat c***’ during the confrontation.
‘I’m literally looking at Grant right now… Bogut, calling him a fat c*** (present tense),’ the supporter, who claimed to be at Qudos Bank Arena for the second match of the grand final series, posted.
‘Not only harsh AF, but inaccurate IMO. Mediocre trash talking game Andrew, mediocre.’
Kelley later spoke publicly about the exchange, claiming the comments centred on his weight.
‘Let’s just say I’m the size of Akebono the sumo wrestler, that’s my journey, that’s my issue,’ Kelley said.
Former NBA star also shared Peter Griffin image widely interpreted as mocking Kelley, escalating feud beyond alleged verbal exchange
Bogut denied aspects of allegations but fuelled controversy with social media post referencing Hungry Jack’s drive-thru after Game Three
‘Andrew is a three-time Olympian, this is probably a power trip for him because he thinks he’s better than other people because he’s a tall slim guy and an Olympic athlete. We’re not all born that way.’
Bogut has disputed aspects of the claims, but the fallout intensified when he appeared to reference Kelley again on social media.
In a post following game three, Bogut wrote: ‘Nice to get back to the locker room unencumbered tonight, in what one can only assume was a rush to major sponsor Hungry Jack’s drive-thru outlet.’
He also shared an image of Peter Griffin holding basketballs, a post widely interpreted as a comparison to Kelley.
The 36ers responded by lodging a formal complaint with the National Basketball League.
‘The Adelaide 36ers are aware of persistent and repeated personal attacks by a Sydney Kings co-owner and assistant coach directed towards our owner Grant Kelley,’ the club said in a statement.
‘The 36ers understand that body shaming is not a joke, but rather a very real source of anxiety and emotional distress for people of all genders and ages. We also stand against cyberbullying in all its forms.’
The club confirmed it had notified the league and would pursue the matter further during the off-season.
Incident adds to growing tensions between Adelaide and Sydney, with rivalry intensifying
Bryce Cotton’s game two winner and post-game clash with Kendric Davis further heightened the already volatile championship series atmosphere
Bogut also shared support from Mike Procopio, an American basketball consultant and former NBA player development coach who worked closely with players like Kobe Bryant.
‘As president of the overweight basketball coalition I stand behind Bogues. Mr Griffin will just have to toughen up,’ he posted.
‘I’ve taken 34,456 more weight jokes from Bogues than the owner Mr Griffin has taken and I made it just fine. Bogues is fine in my book and should carry on.’
The controversy is the latest chapter in a heated series that has been simmering since game one, when tensions between Andrew Bogut and Adelaide 36ers players first surfaced during a fiery post-game exchange.
The flashpoint came after Sydney’s dominant opening win, when Nick Rakočević appeared to snub Bogut in the handshake line, following an earlier on-court interaction that had already raised tensions.
It intensified again in game two when Bryce Cotton hit a dramatic buzzer-beater to level the series, before clashing with Kendric Davis in a heated post-game exchange.
That moment spilled into the tunnel, where Bogut and Grant Kelley were reportedly involved in a confrontation that has since become the centre of the controversy.
By the time the series shifted to Sydney for game three, the rivalry had escalated well beyond basketball, with tensions building across players, coaches and club officials.
On the court, the Sydney Kings responded emphatically, with Davis producing a dominant performance to lead his side to a 2-1 series lead.
The game was played in front of a record crowd of 18,000.
