2004 Athens Olympics
I have been part of three major campaigns for the Australian Boomers. My first was the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. I was only 19 at the time, but played relatively well, although having a lot to learn there was no doubt that this Olympics helped me become a better player once I returned to the University of Utah for my sophomore year (second year). We didn’t fair to well, finishing a disappointing ninth, although had a chance to make the top 8 but a tough loss to Puerto Rico destroyed any hopes we had. The learning experience I received from my Olympic campaign was invaluable.
2006 Japan World Championships
My second Boomers campaign was the 2006 World Championships in Japan. We fared better then the Olympics and managed to finish in 
the top 8. We had a chance to come out of our group in first or second, but two games stood out. The first being a loss vs. Turkey where we were up by double digits at half time, but saw the lead slip down slowly, ending in a tough loss. Then an unexplainable finish vs. Greece where we were up 5 with 40 seconds left and ball. We turned the ball over and Greece immediately converted a 2 point shot. We then failed to convert our set and Greece went on to hit a big 3, leaving about 13 seconds left on the clock. The game was tied, and we then inbounded and turned the ball over at half court, Greece rushed the ball up the floor and hit a 3 point shot as time expired. Final score for Greece 72-69. The toughest loss I have ever been a part of, and most likely one of the most forgettable games the Boomers have been a part of. Coming off the tough loss we were by no means ready for our next game against Lithuania and lost by a big margin. We still made the second round as we recorded wins vs. Brazil and Qatar. Up next was the USA and they blew us right out of the water.
2008 Beijing Olympics
My third and most recent campaign was as tough as the rest. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing were exciting times for the Boomers. A great group with youth, talent and veteran leadership. We staggered out of the gates with big loses to Croatia and Argentina. Next up we smashed Iran by a big margin. The next game vs. Russia was a spitting image of the Puerto Rico game in the 2004 Olympics. It was win or go home. We came out inspired and were not at all intimidated by the European Champions. We won by a comfortable margin in the end. We were off to the next round, but yet still had one more game left in our group stage vs. Lithuania. The game had no bearing on the standings. We put together one of our best performances of the tournament, it seemed we could not miss a shot. We beat a good Lithuania team by double digits. People do argue the game meant nothing, so who cares. But before the game we had the same discussion. What did this game mean? It meant playing for the name on the front of your shirt. Your country. Your Pride. Your Countries Pride. Now in the top 8 we would face the best team in the world and favorite, the USA. The USA were unbelievable and disposed of us very easily. I will be the first tell you I played terribly. As if playing like a little boy wasn't enough, I ended up turning my ankle pretty bad, the pain was the most I’ve felt with a ankle sprain so it gave me a big fright. I thought I had tore something or even worse. The scan showed a minor tear common in ankle sprains and it took me 3 weeks to get back to training. Back to the USA, this was easily the best USA team I had played against, they were out there to win and it showed. They deserved gold there was no doubt about that. They played as one, lead by an angry Kobe Bryant who was easily the tournament MVP.