How Boomers, a European brawl and overseas success steered Dante Exum to revive his career
Australian coach Brian Goorjian knew Dante Exum ‘had the ability to turn it around’ when he arrived at the Boomers’ Tokyo training camp unsure of his next step. Now he’s just four games away from NBA Finals.
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Flat and struggling aren’t words associated with an in-form Dante Exum these days. The Australian swingman has a spring in his step playing for a Dallas Mavericks side daring to dream of an NBA championship this season.
Prior to Exum’s pivotal role in the Boomers’ historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, though, his career was at a crossroads.
The Melbourne-born guard arrived at Australia’s pre-Games camp in California down on confidence coming off an NBA season where he didn’t play a regular season minute for the Houston Rockets due to a calf injury.
Exum was clearly out of sorts as he approached his first Australian national camp in seven years, but he was far from done, according to Boomers coach Brian Goorjian.
“I hadn’t seen Dante for some time and he was heavy, he wasn’t sharp but you could see that he was talented,” Goorjian recalls.
“He had been hurt and his career was at a crossroad. He wasn’t playing in the NBA at the time, so where is he? He isn’t in the NBL either, but I knew he had the ability to turn it around.”
It’s why Goorjian persevered with the early camp rust and instilled a belief in Exum to become a key cog for the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Australian coach’s patient approach was rewarded, with his returning guard delivering to help the men in green and gold reach the podium.
Exum played a vital role off the bench, including dropping 12 points on an impressive 4 of 5 shooting from the field in the bronze medal win over Slovenia.
Goorjian will be forever grateful for the role his backup guard had in Australia’s first men’s Olympic basketball medal.
“Dante was instrumental in us medalling in Tokyo,” he said.
“He is a piece that prior to me coming in that the Boomers didn’t have before and it is what Joe (Ingles) and Patty (Mills) needed as far as help goes for them to be great.”
EURO EXCELLENCE AND WRESTLE MANIA:
Exum didn’t need being body slammed WWE style resulting in a broken leg and a bloodied nose to prove his resilience, but it was a reality he had to overcome while playing for Partizan Belgrade in 2023.
Controversy reigned in the second game of the EuroLeague playoff series between Partizan and Real Madrid.
Exum’s side led Real Madrid 95-80 with less than two minutes to play when a foul by Madrid captain Sergio Llull sparked an all-in brawl.
During the melee, former Boston Celtic Guerschon Yabusele picked the Aussie guard up from behind and dumped him to the ground.
Former Boston Celtic Guerschon Yabusele slams Dante Exum to the ground during a brawl between Real Madrid and Partizan!
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 27, 2023
(Via @BasketNews_com) pic.twitter.com/5OVxoFUoRy
Exum left the court on crutches, but he played out the rest of the series.
This tenacity didn’t surprise Goorjian.
“Dante was playing in one of the toughest environments in Europe for one of the strongest organisations,” he said.
“And he is on the floor the whole time.”
Despite this drama, Exum excelled in Europe during stints with Barcelona FC and Partizan Belgrade.
He won the Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2022, before adding an ABA League championship at Partizan the following year.
Exum’s European stints also helped him significantly improve his shooting.
In 63 games for Barcelona and Partizan over a two-year period, he scored 658 points and shot a high clip of 196 of 229 from the field.
He carried this offensive efficiency into the 2023 World Cup, where he averaged 11 points and looked dangerous every time he touched the ball.
The Boomers battled in Japan, bombing out to finish 10th, but Exum was back excelling on the international stage.
He was fittingly rewarded with a two-year deal to return to the NBA via the Dallas Mavericks.
Exum has returned the favour in spades to become a vital piece for the Mavericks in the franchise’s championship push.
Goorjian credits the guard’s time with the Boomers for giving him the faith and resilience to rise above multiple injury setbacks.
“I see the Boomers as a huge factor in Dante’s journey to get where he is now,” he said about Exum ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between his Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 10.30am (AEDT) on Thursday.
“You don’t have to say it to him, but I can tell that he recognises it and there is a lot of love and pride.
“A lot of Dante is invested in this thing moving forward and being great.”
BOOMERS LEADER:
Last December, Goorjian had a front-row seat to see Exum drop 26 points, including seven threes, on LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in a big win.
The Australian guard had the crowd in Dallas on its feet as he put on a point scoring show in front of the Australian national coach.
Dante Exum vs Los Angeles Lakers
— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) December 13, 2023
26 PTS
4 REB
3 AST
1 STL
1 BLK
8/10 FG
7/9 3P#MFFL W pic.twitter.com/fYCEuTxfsD
It was a star-studded performance that reaffirmed Goorjian’s belief in Exum as a Boomers leader heading into this year’s Paris Olympics.
“He had 20-plus points and I was there as LeBron James was trying to close him out,” Goorjian recalls.
“The crowd is going nuts and Dante is an established player on one of the better teams in the NBA.
“I now see Dante alongside Joe and Patty as one of the leaders to move the program forward.
“He is that next tier. Basketball wise, culturally and just a living example of a promotion for what the Boomers is all about.”
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