The Australian Boomers squad for the Tokyo Olympics has a particularly youthful feel to it, and no-one exemplifies that more than Josh Giddey.
The 18-year-old was the youngest player named to Brian Goorjian's 24-man Boomers squad; the point guard having shown his value by helping his Adelaide 36ers to an impressive start to the new NBL season, and soaring up draft boards in the process.
"It means a lot to be on a Boomers squad that has arguably the best talent it's ever had, and be chosen by arguably the best coach in Australian history in Goorj - it's just such an honour," Giddey told ESPN.
"I know how hard those senior guys have worked and how much they've put in so they can go and win a gold medal at an Olympics, so to even have a chance to potentially be part of that place in Australian basketball history is really special.
"Wearing the green and gold is an unbelievable experience and, when it comes to my priorities, doing that at an Olympics is right at the top. I know I'm the youngest player in the squad, but I'm going to give it everything I've got to try to get there."
In February of 2020, Giddey became the youngest player since Ben Simmons to suit up for the Australia senior national team, getting the call up to compete at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Now, he's alongside Simmons on a list of players that will be aiming to win the Boomers' first ever medal at a major international tournament, with an eye toward gold.
"To see my name on a list that has elite players like Ben Simmons and Patty Mills, and all of those guys; just to be in the same conversation as them is really cool to see," Giddey said.
"We still don't know specifics about what the training camp situation will look like but, still, to learn from guys like Ben, and Joe, and Patty is something I know would be an amazing experience."
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While it's still not certain what the Tokyo Olympics will even look like -- the event has already been postponed, and there are questions as to whether it will go ahead amid a pandemic -- every core Boomers player has already committed to playing; such is the reverence they show for the program, and their desire to lead it to a long-awaited medal.
"No hesitation at all," Mills told ESPN earlier in the year, of his intention to suit up for the Boomers in Tokyo. "Everyone's well aware of that, throughout the program, the team, obviously Goorj, and the players as well. There's no doubt about it. Not a single ounce of blood vessel in my body says otherwise. I'm fully committed obviously."
Giddey doesn't have the same lived experience that's driving Mills' full-throttled commitment to the program, but that doesn't mean he's not guided by the same sentiments.
"Watching them get so close so many times, those guys make us feel like we're a part of the Boomers, so we all share that joy when they win and the pain when they fall short," Giddey said.
"It's cool that I can now be a part of that. To see the way Patty, and Joe, and those guys talk about the Boomers, and how much they care about the program; it's inspiring. It makes me excited to be part of this squad, and drives me more to do my best to join them at the Olympics.