The NBA legend Andrew Bogut has sparked the transphobia controversy again as he claimed that the NBL1 women’s team would have a “biological male” player on their roster.
Andrew Bogut, the 7-feet tall center, glorified his 15 years NBA career with averages of 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists that saw him win one championship and gain All-NBA Third Team honors in 2010.
Besides a successful career, this unapologetic former player is very much popular on social media for sharing his unfiltered opinion and giving it back to his haters.
What did Andrew Bogut say about the NBL women’s team?
Andrew Bogut, the NBA champion, took to Twitter to vent his anger at the recent news that the league would begin accepting transgender and gender-diverse players and questioned the netizens as to whether or not they would be okay with the sanctity of female sports being compromised in the name of “inclusion.”
Using the hashtag #Girldads, the Aussie basketball player tried to grab the attention of all the fathers and stated that this hashtag would be in the trend till any action is taken by Basketball Victoria.
https://twitter.com/andrewbogut/status/1635064052979486723?t=LD_GbGvMALqLcLPvjIBF7Q&s=19
Netizens were quick to respond as many of them expressed their wonder, saying that they do not in any way support this move.
Im not ok with it #girldad
— Greg Jackson (@gjackson16) March 13, 2023
Notice it’s only men playing in women’s sport. Never the other way around
— Matt3.PLS (@Matt3_PLS) March 13, 2023
Absolute disgrace. Our girls already have it harder than our boys and now we are letting men take over their sports as well. Emmeline Pankhurst would be turning over in her grave. Our girls deserve better and most of all deserve our protection.
— 12th Man in Oz (@12thManInOz) March 13, 2023
However, some others also commented in favor of the move and blamed Bogut for his “wildly irresponsible” words and for cultivating hate.
this is so wildly irresponsible. it makes me sad reading the majority of comments you receive on your tweets. does it make you sad? or do you enjoy the power you have to cultivate hatred in the world?
— saraid taylor. (@saraidtaylor) March 13, 2023
Cmon bogut. Did use to think of you as a great basketballer…….
— Harro (@piratetex) March 13, 2023
NBL1 player Chloe Bibby responded to the decision positively, stating that she doesn’t care about gender identity as her aim is only to beat all her rivals on the court.
Matt Shanahan, the three-time premiership winner, expressed that his 16-year-old daughter was playing in the league and wondered if his daughter would be comfortable playing with biological males.
Basketball Victoria revealed on Monday that they received an application from a transgender player to join the Aussie women’s basketball league.
Who is the rumored transgender player in the women’s basketball league?
Though the governing body didn’t release any official statement, News Corp revealed the rumor to be true and mentioned that the transgender player is Kilsyth Cobras, and Basketball Victoria, in collaboration with Basketball Australia, is working on the final eligibility process.
This is not the first time the 2015 NBA champion raised the transgender topic, as he previously slammed the national sporting body for keeping gender-inclusive options in a drop-down box by sharing a picture following his six-year-old registration form.
The debate over transgender athletes competing in women’s sports has been a contentious issue in recent years, with many arguing that it is unfair to allow biological males to compete against biological females while others are praising this move for ensuring equality.
It is still to be seen how the National Basketball League will respond to the controversy and maneuver around the challenge of transgender inclusion in sports when the upcoming season of the National Basketball League for Women is scheduled to start at the beginning of October.
What’s your opinion on this topic? Do you support the league’s decision? Let us know in the comments.
