Boomers history part II: The newer faces

As the Boomers head into the FIBA 2023 Basketball World Cup, we catch up on some of Australia's current top male players in the green and gold.

The Australian Boomers are heading into the FIBA 2023 Basketball World Cup off the back of a landmark bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. After covering a series of returning veterans in an earlier article, we now focus on some of the newer faces that have pulled on the green and gold. This article focuses on those who made their major tournament debut at or after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Josh Giddey

Josh Giddey made his first state team with Victoria Under-18s in 2019, before swiftly earning a national team call up the same year. He represented Australia at the 2019 FIBA Under-17 championships, dropping 25 points, eight rebounds, six steals and five assists in the final - an 85-56 demolition of New Zealand. Giddey unsurprisingly made the tournament’s All-Star Five, where he was joined by compatriot Tamuri Wigness.

The then-16 year old was already generating serious hype as a college recruit, but instead followed in LaMelo Ball’s footsteps by joining the NBL’s Next Stars program. Within just two years Giddey was considered a top end NBA draft prospect, and would have walked into Australia’s team for the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. However, with the Tokyo Olympics looming large, Giddey made the leap to the senior Boomers camp, and was on the verge of earning selection.