Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze says he is "disappointed" at Andrew Bogut's decision to retire from the game prior to the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Bogut made the announcement via his podcast Rogue Bogues on Tuesday, ruling himself out of Australia's squad in next year's games, where the Boomers are a genuine medal chance.
Despite his advanced age and varying ailments, Gaze believes Bogut could have played a vital role in helping Australia win an elusive Olympic medal in basketball.
"I have great respect for Bogues and what he's been able to do, but I was a little disappointed," he told 2GB's Wide World of Sports Radio.
"I'm looking ahead to Tokyo and seeing our team and I thought Bogues would play an important role.
"It certainly wouldn't be a role he had at the peak of his powers, but with his size, basketball IQ, and what he can bring to the team both on and off the court, I thought he was going to be very significant in what is looking like an opportunity for Australia to win their first (basketball) medal at the Olympic games.
"To not have the big fella there, selfishly I was a little disappointed, but I can understand that only he really knows how his body is feeling and if he doesn't have the capacity to go on, I think it's a selfless act."
"There's no doubt that even if he was 1/4 fit, Andrew Bogut was going to be selected, but he's probably looked at it like said, 'If I can't be at my best I'll do more harm than good', so I guess you could look at it as a selfless act as well so good on him."
Gaze, a pioneer of Australian basketball in his own right, credited Bogut for helping to keep the game alive when he was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005 NBA Draft.
"He got drafted in 2005 and it was a time where the NBL and the WNBL wasn't going through a great time," he said.
"It was a tough time and we were really looking for those heroes to keep promoting the game.
"The attention that drew to not only Andrew Bogut, but as a living, breathing example of the quality of player that can be produced through our systems here was enormous.
"He had success with the Milwaukee Bucks and I think him, Patty Mills and Lauren Jackson, some of the real iconic names in Australian basketball were doing some really heavy lifting in that period because our elite competitions weren't where they needed to be."
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