Patty Mills and five other NBA stars will hit Rio Olympics as greatest ever Australian Boomers team

PATTY MILLS says his 11 seasons as a Boomer and 361 NBA games have prepared him to embrace the expectation of such lofty expectations as they go for gold in Rio.

PATTY Mills has experienced the Olympics as an eager young punk, racking up 20 points against the Dream Team at Beijing in 2008.

He has seen them enhance his personal brand, leading all scorers in London and hitting a last-second three-pointer to progress Australia to the quarter-finals.

Now, with millions in the bank, 27 years on the clock and an NBA championship ring on his finger, Boomers star Mills wants it all.

An Australia’s men’s basketball team featuring six NBA regulars will hit Rio as the greatest team to be assembled by this nation.

Patty Mills is ready to lead the Boomers to Olympic glory

And Mills says his 11 seasons as a Boomer and 361 NBA games have prepared him to embrace the expectation of such lofty expectations.

Fellow veteran Andrew Bogut’s towering figure at centre and celebrity as a No. 1 NBA draft pick might steal most of the fanfare entering Rio.

But when the whips are cracking it will be Mills making it happen from point guard and, hopefully, again making the shots that take Australia towards a historic first Olympic medal.

“I am excited for the challenge,’’ Mills said.

I feel am the leader of the team, spearheading these guys into the right direction and that’s to get a medal.

Patty Mills

“I am going into my third Olympics and I have a lot of experience under my belt. I feel am the leader of the team, spearheading these guys into the right direction and that’s to get a medal.

“What I have been able to learn over two Olympics and seven NBA seasons with an NBA championship is learn a lot from very well-known people.”

Those well-known faces include basketball royalty such as Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan.

Still, it was Mills eclipsing them with 17 playoff points in Game 5 of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2013-14 championships win, exploding with 14 points in a matchwinning third quarter.

This year it was Victorian Matthew Dellevadova experiencing those euphoric highs with Cleveland, the point guard certain to be a trusty wingman for Mills in Rio.

“I caught a bit of the highlights and I was absolutely pumped for Delly,” Mills said. “The way we play can really help each other and help the team.

“I am excited to play with him ... we can work well together.”

Patty Mills of the Boomers dribbles the ball past Stephen Domingo of the All-Stars