Andrew Bogut has a new body, an upgraded nose and in front of 20,000 delirious fans this week will slip the NBA's most-prized piece of jewellery on one of his giant fingers.
It has only been four months since Bogut's Golden State Warriors downed the brave, but physically spent LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers - who had moments of inspiration from Bogut's fellow Australian Matthew Dellavedova - to win the NBA title.
The 2015-16 NBA season begins Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) with a Warriors' celebration.
The team will receive their diamond-clad NBA championship rings at a ceremony on their home court, Oracle Arena, just moments before tip-off of their season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Their first championship banner in 40 years will also be unveiled in the rafters of the stadium.
Then they'll embark on game one of the 82-game, six month-long regular season and then hope to make another charge through the playoffs.
Bogut, the 30-year-old, 213cm tall centre from Endeavour Hills in Melbourne's south-east who shed 10kg in the off-season after cutting sugar from his diet, says he's fit to play, despite having surgery on his broken nose a week ago.
He'll wear a mask to protect it, but can't guarantee it will stay on.
"If I miss my first couple of shots it could go flying," Bogut, who has broken his nose three other times in his career, said.
Bogut suffered the injury in a pre-season game when Houston Rockets swingman KJ McDaniels' fist connected with the Australian's face on a McDaniels' dunk attempt.
The Warriors' biggest injury concern isn't Bogut or a player, but their coach Steve Kerr, the mastermind who led them to the championship.
Kerr, who had spinal surgery in the off-season and has been dogged by severe headaches, won't coach the team in the season opener and only attended his first practice on Saturday.
When he returns is unknown.
Australia, according to bookmakers, is a great chance to have a player claim another NBA title with Dellavedova's Cleveland Cavaliers the favourites.
Patty Mills and the San Antonio Spurs are second favourites, with Bogut's Warriors on the third line of betting.
The dark horse team could be sixth favourites the Chicago Bulls, featuring Australian power forward Cameron Bairstow.
The Utah Jazz, with Joe Ingles and without the injured Dante Exum, are 100-1 longshots to win the title.
Mills' former Spurs teammate and fellow Australian Aron Baynes may have hit the financial jackpot when he defected to the Detroit Pistons for a three-year, $US20 million ($A27.75 million) contract but bookmakers predict the Motor City squad will be one of the worst teams and have odds of 150-1 to win the title.
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