Basketball On The Internet.

THERE it was again yesterday as Basketball Australia added Aleks Maric and Daniel Kickert to its Boomers squad for the Rio Olympics.

Referencing the “Farewell Series” against the Pac-12 All Stars came the line – yet again – “Fans will get the chance to see the final Boomers team for Rio, and arguably the greatest team Australian basketball has ever assembled.”

Less than two weeks ago the world watched agog as the most successful regular season team in NBA history – the defending champion 73-9 Golden State Warriors – went from 3-1 ahead in the best-of-seven Final to be beaten for the championship 4-3 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Is there any chance we can stop calling them “arguably the greatest etc” until
a) The team is actually SELECTED;
b) It wins a bronze or better, therefore topping three previous Olympic fourth placings by the Boomers.

Then, there will be no argument whatsoever.

Can’t help recalling that The Titanic was billed as “unsinkable” … and then it sank on its maiden voyage.

We all want the Boomers to win Gold.

Or Silver.

Or Bronze.

When they whack the college boys of the Pac-12, again BA should resist from so loosely throwing around “the greatest” tags.

Maybe their greatness is imminent, but until it is achieved, BA should ease up.

Beating the USA will still take some doing, although the Boomers can take inspiration from our Sapphires, who did just that today at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Spain.

Qualifying for the Gold Medal game, the Aussies took out the US 73-60, inflicting the first loss for an American Under-17 team (girls OR boys) in FIBA tournament play!

Should the girls (pictured above after taming the USA) win it all tomorrow, they will be our greatest Under-17 team ever, and that would be with no “arguably” about it.

Fingers crossed.