Josh Giddey says the Australian Boomers squad are using their heartbreaking exit from the 2023 FIBA World Cup as fuel for their one shot at Paris 2024 glory.
The Boomers went down to Slovenia back in September’s campaign, and it felt they were well and truly at a crossroads in their collective journey as Australia’s team.
On one hand, the era of the veterans, headed by 35-year-old Chris Goulding, had given more than enough to the sport to show something as a reward.
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Meantime, a new age was slowly emerging, with the likes of Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Josh Green becoming the faces of the next generation.
A new dawn of hope that a gold medal is on the horizon.
But the loss at that World Cup rocked the very foundations of Australian basketball, forcing key stakeholders to regroup ahead of Paris 2024.
Now, as the Boomers squad enters training camp ahead of the Olympic Games, Giddey isn’t shying away from using that heartbreak as motivation.
“We know the sour taste the World Cup left in our mouths,” Giddey said in Melbourne on Friday.
“To finish the way it did, wasn’t good for any of us.
“We’re very happy that we can go to Paris now, have another chance to get up on that podium with a gold medal.”
And it’s because of Giddey and his young teammates, who are dominating the NBA world overseas, that basketball back home feels stronger and more competitive than years gone by.
“The talent is as good as it’s ever been in Australia,” he said.
“Australian basketball is as good as it has ever been from top to bottom.
“You look at the veterans that run this program and the kids that are coming through. We are having draft picks every year.
“Australia has proven to be a pipeline for the NBA. We’re seeing it now on the global stage.”
It comes as the Boomers completed their first training session as a squad on Friday, as their Paris 2024 preparations finally get underway.
Giddey says the competitive spirit and energy are already there within the group.
“Anytime we get back together as a group, you feel it from day one,” Giddey said.
“It’s an honour to play in the green and gold. When we all get together in camp, we all get the best out of each other.
“It’s competitive, it’s intense. It’s like that from day one. It doesn’t take, three, four, five days to build into it.”
The Boomers will play their first match in Paris on day one of the Games, Saturday, July 27.