Delly not out of the race for 2028 Boomers spot

Matthew Dellavedova may be nearing the latter end of his career, but he is not ready to rule out a fifth Olympic appearance before he calls time on the sport.

The 34-year-old guard has been a regular of the Boomers side since 2009, where he was the youngest player (19) in Australia's title winning Oceania Championship team.

Three years later he found himself wearing the green and gold jersey on the Olympic stage in London, and he has not missed the prestigious tournament ever since.

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While in the eyes of some Dellavedova may not be top of mind for the 2028 Games, given the incredible depth of Australian talent now showing up in the NBA, the Sydney Kings star is confident he still has what it takes to secure a spot on that team.

All it will take is for him to continue showing that he is still the in-form star everyone knows and loves on the court for Australia. 

"That is definitely a goal of mine," Dellavedova told Mike Pearsall on Wide World of Sports with Adam Hawse on Tuesday, when asked about the 2028 Olympics.

"Signing a three-year deal in Sydney takes me up until 2028. I've always kind of thought of my career in four-year blocks.

"We have great young leaders that are ready to take the torch for the Boomers, the likes of Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.

"I definitely want to be part of that (Olympic Boomers) group. I feel I can bring something different to them that will complement (the team).

"The focus is just on helping the Kings win games and keep building towards the playoffs. The long-term goal of the World Cup and the Olympics (still stands).

"But the first thing (front of mind this week) is playing this Christmas game."https://omny.fm/shows/wide-world-of-sports/definitely-a-goal-of-mine-dellavedova-targets-fifth-olympics-campaign-in-la/embed?style=cover

Dellavedova has played in two Christmas Day matches throughout his career, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013 and another with Golden State Warriors in 2015.

The decision to hold games on Christmas Day did divide the NBL world at first, however, Dellavedova is all on board with the league's decision to follow the NBA's format.

The Australian guard admitted it is a spectacle he enjoyed experiencing and watching during his time in the States, noting it is "a big deal" for the people of America.

"There are NBA games on all day over Christmas, so being in College watching those games then getting to experience some of those games was an incredible experience," he said.

"I think the league here has done a great job of trying to find new ways to grow.

"From when I first came back to now, the league has continued to get better and better. The overall standard has improved, the games are highly competitive and physical. I am really enjoying the challenge.

"The numbers of fans turning up and the viewership has continued to grow, so I think (Christmas Day games) are a great idea by the NBL.

'I am really enjoying the challenge."

Dellavedova continued: "Everyone (at the Kings) has been working hard - even when we did go through that tough spot earlier in the year, the belief was still there.

"It is nice to get some results to show for all our hard work."

The fourth-place Kings will face the Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena on Thursday.