Rio 2016: Boomers confident of taking down America’s Dream Team and winning Olympic gold
AUSTRALIA has never won an Olympic medal in men’s basketball — but it has never had a team so star-studded. And confidence is high ahead of Rio.
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SOME of their stars are so famous the sporting world is on first-name basis with them — LeBron, Steph and Kevin.
But the best Australian Boomers side to represent the nation still believes it can take down America’s Dream Team in Rio.
Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis and Utah Jazz star Joe Ingles have backed in Australia’s bold assessment to win Olympic gold.
The nation has never won an Olympic medal in men’s basketball — three times it has finished fourth — but it has never had a team so star-studded.
A 17-man squad with seven regular NBA players will be cut to 12 after a July 5-12 Boomers camp in Melbourne.
As reported by News Corp Australia in May, two farewell games will be played on July 12 and 14 against a best-of team from US college’s Pac-12 division.
Those farewell games at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena were announced at a press conference on Tuesday moved to an earlier time to accommodate the NBA playoffs.
But the very fact Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedeva will take part in that contest with LeBron James and Steph Curry is proof for Lemanis anyone is beatable.
“It’s not a secret our goal is to win gold. It is a big aspiration but it will drive our behaviours,’’ Lemanis said.
“The beauty of the tournament format is you only have to beat them once.
“The reality of our guys being in the NBA and having success on the world stage is they have a confidence level coming up against these guys.
“There is no longer any fear involved. LeBron James is Matthew Dellavedova’s teammate. He knows the good but also the weaknesses.
“With that comes real confidence and belief in our group that we have the opportunity to do well.”
Utah Jazz point guard Dante Exum is now in full drills after last August’s ACL reconstruction but any setback would see him miss Rio.
Utah teammate Joe Ingles said he expected he would be at that Melbourne camp given his rapid progress.
The Pac-12 division has seen many of its side win the famed NCAA championships, with the Boomers preferring to play a college side at home rather than a national team away as a final Rio warm-up.
The upcoming draft’s likely no.1 pick Ben Simmons has repeatedly told Lemanis he will devote himself to his new NBA team, with no late Boomer backflip expected.
The Boomers meet the US in the group rounds — so are spared them in a likely quarter final — with Ingles similarly bullish.
“I think in my first two Olympics we had eight or nine NBL guys and (Andrew) Bogut and a couple of guys playing in Europe,’’ he said.
“I don’t think we ever had fear of playing those guys but for the seven of us to play against the best of the best weekly and daily is huge and I think it’s going to make a big difference.
“We will go out there with the same attitude like we would any game.”
Originally published as Rio 2016: Boomers confident of taking down America’s Dream Team and winning Olympic gold
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