By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The last time Australia took part on the Olympic stage, a historic bronze medal came in Tokyo 2020. Four years later, the Boomers will try to do the same, having to get past a death Group A with Canada and the winners of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Spain and Greece.
In order to achieve such a difficult goal, the whole panel of the most talented Australian basketball talent worldwide has been called up in a preliminary 22-man roster from where the ultimate 12-man roster in Paris 2024 will be extracted.
Former Partizan Belgrade and Barcelona guard Dante Exum, currently killing it in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, is in there alongside Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, Josh Ingles, Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath, Josh Green, and even veteran Matthew Dellavedova, back in the NBL.
In the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Australia couldn’t reach the final stage in the Philippines, failing to overcome the 2nd-round stage in Okinawa after ending behind Germany and Slovenia in Group K. Josh Giddey led the team in scoring with 19.8 points per game.
Full list of Australian players for Paris 2024
The 22-man roster called up by the coach Brian Goorjian: Chris Goulding, Joe Ingles, Nick Kay, Dante Exum, Johnny Furphy, Patty Mills, DJ Vasilijevic, Sam Froling, Rocco Zikarsky, Duop Reath, Josh Giddey, Will Magnay, Dyson Daniels, Josh Green, Will McDowell-White, Jack McVeigh, Keanu Pinder, Xavier Cooks, Jack White, Matisse Thybulle, Jock Landale, and Matthew Dellavedova.
Your Australian Boomers Olympic squad is here! 🤩
Ahead of #Paris2024, this initial squad will be refined before training camp in July where the final 12 will be selected to take on the world’s best.
Full details ➡️ https://t.co/IMMJUhDo2u
#WeAreBasketball pic.twitter.com/oTFIH0sust— Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) April 10, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup