But the towering Golden State Warriors centre has been forced to share some of the limelight, fielding plenty of questions from intrigued Bay area locals who want to know more about his countryman.

Bogut told Fairfax Media he had been in regular contact with the former Parramatta Eels superstar since he arrived in San Francisco last month, exchanging a series of text messages.

Bogut knows little about rugby league. He's an AFL man. But he knows enough about Hayne to tell 49ers fans they are in for a treat.

The 30-year-old NBA star, who is the highest-paid Australian athlete in the world, has been trying to organise for Hayne to attend a Warriors play-off game but, given Hayne spends almost every spare minute with his head in the 49ers playbook, the pair haven't met up yet.

Bogut admits he doesn't follow American football but, with Hayne in town, he said: "I will now."

But of much bigger concern is Monday's opening match of the semi-final conference series against the Memphis Grizzlies in Oakland.

Bogut's Warriors were the best team in the NBA during the regular season and a 4-0 series sweep of Anthony Davis' New Orleans Pelicans sends them into the next round of the play-offs as raging favourites.

And Bogut has been a big part of that success.

Injuries have dogged the Australian's career, but superstar Warriors point guard Steph Curry, who put on a show at practice on Thursday by nailing 43 consecutive 3-pointers, believes the time has come for Bogut to put his name up in lights.

"This is a big moment for him," Curry said. "Obviously, the past two years have not been ideal when it comes to his health ... you can look at the stat line and make a judgment. But if you're watching our game, the guy is impacting both ends of the floor. There is a reason he's doing what he's doing. He's been waiting for this a long time."

In a radio interview in the US during the week, it was revealed some Warriors fans booed when they found out the franchise had traded fan favourite Monta Ellis for the Australian. But coach Steve Kerr this week described Bogut as "perhaps the best defensive centre" in the NBA.

Bogut has a chance of being selected on one of the NBA's all defensive teams, which would have him collect a US$2.43 million ($3.1 million) bonus in addition to his annual salary of US$15.3 million, far more than the $600 weekly pay cheque Hayne is collecting across town at the 49ers.

"The only thing I was expecting was to get one of the best centres in the league," Kerr said of Bogut when he took over the Warriors from former coach Mark Jackson this season.

"I watched him in Milwaukee and watched him here at Golden State. I think the guy's a brilliant basketball player at both ends. He's one of the best passing big men in the game and he's possibly the best defensive centre in the league. I knew I was getting a hell of a player.

"I was excited about that. As far as physically, who knew. But he's been great all year. He had the one setback with his knee in December, but other than that he's stayed healthy and strong, put in the work in the training room and has done a great job."

The Warriors are renowned for their free-flowing, up-tempo style that has taken the NBA by storm this season. Curry, in combination with sharp-shooter Klay Thompson, is tormenting opposition teams.

The Grizzlies' style is a complete contrast, but Bogut, who is likely to match up against Zach Randolph, insists his side cannot afford to change the way they play to combat the grinding-Grizzlies.

"We got a run and keep our tempo," Bogut said.

"Memphis like to play in the 70s, 80s, 90s. Very physical team and a lot of physicality in the paint with [Marc] Gasol and [Zach] Randolph and even their bench with [Kosta] Koufos. Offensive rebounds and no easy baskets. We know they struggle to score at times so we have to make sure we don't give them anything easy.

"[Randolph's] one of the smartest guys in the league. People don't give him credit. Obviously he's very strong and physical, but to play at that height with no athleticism that stands out and still get it done on a nightly basis, you have to respect a guy like that. You know whoever comes out of this series is probably going to be battered and bruised coming into the next one."

As for not being as tough as the Grizzlies: "I don't think anyone on our team is not tough or physical because we score so many points.

"But that's the way we like it. Everyone thinks it's going to be a run-and-gun game and the Warriors are going to shoot 110 points and it's going to be a free-flowing, three-point game.

"They forget we're No.1 in the league defensively for a reason. We still don't get that attention but I think it's a good thing because we surprise a lot of teams with it."