Oklahoma City Thunder point
guard Josh Giddey is headlining Australia’s 22-player pool for the
2024 Paris Olympics, as announced by Basketball
Australia.
The 21-year-old young star, who
also led the Boomers last year in the FIBA World Cup 2023, is
joined by fellow NBA players Patty Mills (Miami Heat), Joe Ingles
(Orlando Magic), Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath (Portland
Trailblazers), Josh Green and Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock
Landale (Phoenix Suns), and Dyson Daniels (New Orleans
Pelicans).
Players with NBA experience are
also in the squad, including Xavier Cooks, Jack White, Nick Kay,
and Matthew Dellavedova as well as Kansas Jayhawks freshman and
soon-to-be NBA draftee Johnny Furphy.
Rounding out the squad are eight
current NBL players Chris Goulding, DJ Vasiljevic, Jack McVeigh,
Keanu Pinder, Matthew Dellavedova, Sam Froling, Will Magnay, and
Will McDowell-White.
The 22-man roster was announced
and picked by Basketball Australia with their head coach Brian
Goorjian at the helm. The Boomers aim to send a strong roster to
Paris in hopes of a podium finish
One notable absence from the
pool is former no.1 overall pick Ben Simmons, who withdrew from the
squad yet again due to a nagging back injury that needed
surgery.
“We’ve been actively monitoring
the Aussie players across international leagues in USA, Europe, and
Asia as well as domestically in the NBL and we’re confident in the
potential chemistry of this list,” Goorjian said.
Australia will be in Group A
with Canada, Greece OQT winner, and Spain OQT winner for the 2024
Paris Olympics slated later this year.
