Basketball greats back Matthew Dellavedova’s bid for Paris Olympic berth as Melbourne United star eyes NBA return

Matthew Dellavedova will be in Australia’s Olympic selection camp, but an NBL great says the Melbourne grand final star must go to Paris — and that could be on the back of an NBA return.

Should Matthew Dellavedova be on the plan to Paris for the Olympics?

Australian national team coach Brian Goorjian has reinforced his guarantee Melbourne United star Matthew Dellavedova will be in the Boomers’ Olympic selection squad, but NBL legend Damian Martin says the Tokyo bronze medallist must be on the plane to Paris.

After he was axed from last year’s FIBA World Cup team, many had written off Dellavedova as an international player.

But the feisty guard responded by transforming his mind and body, producing a brilliant season to lead United to the top of the NBL ladder and a Sunday win over Tasmania away from championship glory.

Martin, Delly’s teammate at the 2016 Rio Olympics, says the 33-year-old could not have done more to secure his place in Goorjian’s final 12.

“I’d absolutely take him to Paris,” Martin said.

Matthew Dellavedova has showcased his championship quality for Melbourne United, and there’s a strong push for the former NBA star to be on the plane to the Paris Olympics. Picture: Getty Images

“I just think he offers so many intangibles … he’s inspirational and his basketball IQ is unlike any other player that I’ve been fortunate enough to call a teammate.

“He’s changed his body, his mind, everything, to make sure he’s getting himself another chance at an Olympic berth, even though he got cut from the World Cup squad for younger players who are coming into their prime.

“That is not something that can be taught, that is something that has been ingrained in him.

“He’s so mentally tough that he can break the opposition before the game’s even begun and there’s not many players who believe they’re ever going to break him, physically or mentally, because they just know his mental toughness is unlike anyone in the world.

“I’ve always been a big believer that you play your best when you’re physically fit, you’re mentally switched on and you’re full of confidence.

“Right now, he can tick all three of those boxes, but he can also instil two of those three things — the being present and being confident — to his teammates.

“I would be taking him in a heartbeat because of all of the things he offers above his shoulders, combined with the fact he’s in-form and playing quality minutes.”

Matthew Dellavedova is guaranteed to be part of the Boomers pre-Olympic camp. Picture: Adam Head

Goorjian guaranteed the former Cleveland Cavalier would be in his selection camp on the back of his NBL efforts.

“I’m excited to have Delly in (Boomers) camp and I have really enjoyed his grand final series so far,” Goorjian said.

“I listen to a lot of different opinions on Delly’s series and to me he is playing at an extremely high level in all areas of his game.

“The end result is he is a winner and will do whatever it takes.

“I think the Boomers and it being an Olympic year has given Delly and Chris (Goulding) a focus this season.”

United coach Dean Vickerman believes his charge’s Boomers selection is a no-brainer and hinted it might even come off the back of an NBA playoff run with the savvy vet, who played for Sacramento last season, hoping to tack on with a contender, post his NBL campaign.

Matthew Dellavedova came up clutch to clinch victory for Melbourne United in Game 4 of the NBL Grand Final series. Picture: Getty Images

“There’s always a place for Delly on the national team in whatever capacity they see him as,” Vickerman said.

“Whether it’s him seeing things from the sideline and passing information on, getting a key defensive stop, half-court organisation, I thought he showed all those things this year.

“He’s got a wise, wise head on his shoulders.

“I’d love to see him, if that’s the last part of his international career, to go finish at an Olympics.

“After our season, there may be interest from the NBA, you never know. He’s always got his hand up.

“I think he’ll leave Melbourne fairly quickly after Sunday and he’ll put himself in a position to be back in the states and, if there’s an opportunity, an injury, whatever it is, he’ll be available and ready to go for an NBA team.”

One day after he was cut from the Boomers’ 2023 World Cup selection squad — after a reportedly intense effort at the Cairns training camp — Dellavedova was back in Melbourne getting reps in as he prepared for the NBL season — with one thing on his mind.

Matthew Dellavedova threw himself around for the Boomers in a practice match against the University of Houston in Cairns. Picture: Getty Images

He’d made a vow to pull out all the stops ahead of Paris.

“My focus is on helping Melbourne United in any way I can, win a championship, and doing whatever I can to get to Paris, that’s a huge personal goal for me,” Dellavedova told this masthead, at the time.

Just before round one of the NBL24 season, Dellavedova expanded on the changes he’d made, which produced some unexpected — but pleasing — results.

“I can work harder for longer, recover better and I feel a bit quicker,” Dellavedova said.

“It sounds funny but it (being quicker) took a little bit of getting used to because I’ve always tried to play slow and more at my own pace but it’s nice to be able to get into the paint and drive past people more.

“I’ve always worked hard and tried to eat right but I’ve just been experimenting more with the diet and in the weight room, always looking for an advantage.

“Eating more steak and less carbs after I’m done working out. Trying to get more sun, getting barefoot on the grass and sand, which I’ve always liked, and sleeping well.”

Matthew Dellavedova came up clutch to clinch victory for Melbourne United in Game 4 of the NBL Grand Final series. Picture: Getty Images

He still hasn’t spoken about missing the World Cup — and he won’t — but you can tell how much it hurt when he touches on what it means to be a Boomer.

“I’ve been lucky enough to represent my country at an Olympic Games but doing that just makes you hungrier to do it again because it’s such a special, unique culture of mateship and sacrifice and just pure basketball where everyone is doing whatever’s best for the team, competing on the world stage with some of your best mates to try to make history,” he said.

An NBL title — and maybe a grand final MVP — on Sunday might just be the icing on the cake ahead of the pursuit of a fourth Olympic berth, and maybe, just maybe, a second medal for his country.

Originally published as Basketball greats back Matthew Dellavedova’s bid for Paris Olympic berth as Melbourne United star eyes NBA return