Aussie NBA stars talk Rio Olympics

Team chemistry and NBA-calibre talent won't be a problem when the Australian Olympic men's basketball team goes in search of its first medal.

If Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Dante Exum and Aron Baynes get to stand on the medal podium at next year's Rio Olympics they may think back to a quiet dinner they shared.

Mills and Baynes, who play for the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, had just crushed the visiting Utah Jazz and their rookies, Ingles and Exum, 89-69.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, last month's game will be remembered as one of the great moments in Australian basketball as late in the third quarter Utah coach Quin Snyder waved to Ingles to get off the bench and enter the game.

Mills, Baynes and Exum were already on the court and with Ingles joining the battle, history was made with four Australians on an NBA court for the first time.

"When we're on the court we're enemies," Mills said.

"When the game is over, we're great mates."

Usually within an hour after an NBA game the visiting team is on a bus to the team plane to fly to their next game but, fortunately for the Australians, the Jazz had two days off before they headed to play another Aussie, Matthew Dellavedova, and his Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mills and Baynes, along with former Boomer-turned Spurs coaching staffer Matt Nielsen, invited Ingles and Exum out to one of their favourite San Antonio restaurants.

"It was a Sunday game so there wasn't too much open, but we took them to ...," Mills, stopping and looking down at the microphone in front of him, laughed.

"I'm giving my secret restaurant away now.

"OK, it's Boudros, a nice steakhouse on the River Walk and they usually stay open later than others and have great food.

"Baynesy's girlfriend, my girlfriend, Matty Nielsen were there as well.

"It was all Aussies so it was really cool."

Mills and Baynes wanted to chat with Ingles and Exum about how their first year in the NBA was going.

"We gave them tips on what to expect and not what to expect," said Mills, who was drafted to the NBA in 2009.

But talk also flowed to the Olympic qualifying series against New Zealand this August and next year's Olympics.

The Boomers aren't taking the series against the Kiwis, led by Oklahoma City Thunder starting centre Steven Adams, lightly.

But, with Australia likely featuring seven NBA players - guards Mills, Exum and Dellavedova, forwards Baynes, Ingles and Chicago's Cameron Bairstow and one of the NBA's best big men, Golden State's Andrew Bogut, the Boomers could have their best shot at winning an Olympic medal.

Potential future NBA No.1 draft picks, 206cm 18-year-old forward Ben Simmons and 216cm 17-year-old centre Thon Maker, are also some chance of making the Australian squad.

"For sure," Mills replied when asked if excitement about the Rio Olympics was building among the players.

"I definitely think the Boomers are on the way up with the calibre of players coming through.

"There's me, Joe and Andrew and we're more or less the veterans of the team now and it's exciting."


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Source: AAP


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