Let's not forget Aron Baynes and what he brought to Australian basketball

As the changing of the guard continues for the Australian Boomers and a generation of stars are given their flowers, make sure to include the big man that was there every step of the way.

It was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, but above all else, the Paris Olympics felt like a turning point for the Australian Boomers. With the core group that claimed the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics debuting more than a decade ago, a changing of the guard was inevitable, and while that started at last year’s World Cup, Paris felt like the true beginning of the end.

As the new guard of NBA talent led by Josh Giddey came to the forefront, the team’s stalwarts took a step back, and fans were left staring the basketball mortality of their heroes in the face. Patty Mills had one more signature moment but otherwise struggled; Matthew Dellavedova was as scrappy as ever but played a limited role, and Joe Ingles stayed anchored to the bench, playing just two minutes in total. 

For a long time, those three were an outlier at international tournaments – legitimate NBA players that would always, without fail, drop everything for the chance to represent their country.  If they weren’t already, the run to Rose Gold cemented them as legends of Australian basketball.

The sudden end to this year’s Olympic run was jarring, but as the dust settled and the disappointment started to fade, the realisation set in that this could be the end of the road. Ingles has already flagged that this was his final Boomers appearance, and while Mills and Dellavedova may push on, they will be 39 and 36 years old respectively when the 2027 World Cup tips off. With the knowledge that Father Time is undefeated, Australians have started to give that trio their flowers.

As noted by Kane Pitman above, though, they were always more than just a trio. Countless players helped lead the program to the promised land of Rose Gold, but one in particular completes the quartet. Mills debuted for the national team way back in 2007, Ingles in 2008, and Dellavedova in 2009; that same year, a fresh-faced, big-bodied, 22-year-old centre was brought into the fold, and he too would become a staple for the next decade-plus. He wasn’t there in Paris for a Boomers swansong, and while he won bronze in Tokyo, he didn’t get the chance to bask in the glory with his teammates.

He was robbed of those moments, but with his fellow Boomers veterans feeling the love, it’s the perfect time to send some the way of Aron Baynes.

Photo: fiba.basketball