It may just be pre-season, but make no mistake.
The Andrew Bogut v Chris Goulding rivalry is going to ignite the NBL, and if September 1 was the appetiser, then the main course begins November 5.
That’s the first time the Sydney Kings and Melbourne United are scheduled to square-off in the NBL’s regular season, and if a couple of scrimmages are any indication, it’s going to be must-see basketball.
After Goulding reacted to Bogut’s stray arm on Craig Moller in Bendigo on Thursday, the two Australian teammates were at it again at the State Basketball Centre on Saturday.
With Goulding on the floor diving for a loose ball, Bogut fell on top of the United star while attempting to defend the play.
It subsequently saw the duo share a war of words on the way back up the floor, something that’s all part of the fun according to the NBA’s 2005 number one draft pick.
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“We all know he talks and he has antics,” Bogut said of Goulding.
“That’s the way he plays, he plays with a chip on his shoulder and we know that he won a championship and he is the top dog in the league.
“It’s competitiveness and we both like going at each other.
“It’s one of those things, when I see him I’m going to crack in, when he sees me, he is going to crack in.
“It’s basketball, man. It’s physical.
“Goulding is smacking me, I’m smacking him, we are talking sh-t. That’s what you want.
“The fans pay good money to come and see that sort of effort.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
However, Goulding is taking the opposite view, believing Bogut’s words aren’t directed at him.
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“I wouldn’t say there is a rivalry but you saw the way they started the game…they were trying to hit us, trying to take cheap shots and set a standard,” Goulding told The Age.
“I don’t talk to him (Bogut).
“There is no rivalry or anything like that. We are just two guys going against each other.
“He is super vocal out there towards his teammates, towards the refs and that’s the type of leader he is but we are not talking trash or anything like that.”
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Don’t think the trash talk will just be reserved for Goulding, or Melbourne, as Bogut attempts to drive a cultural change at the perennially disappointing Kings.
“Even if you’re talking sh-t and saying stuff that’s useless, I think it engages you mentally,” Bogut said.
“When you’re just kind of going through the motions like a Wednesday night rec league, you see what you saw the other night in Bendigo.”
Sydney defeated Melbourne 93-85 on Saturday, with Bogut leading the scoring tally for the Kings with 15 points, while also pulling down 15 rebounds.
Goulding recorded a game-high 21 points.