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Sport

11 April, 2024

Matthew Dellavedova moves closer to earning Olympics berth in Paris, named in 24-man squad

Matthew Dellavedova has been named in a 24-man squad for the Australian Boomers at the Paris Olympics. Dellavedova’s strong form in the National Basketball League (NBL) has seen him earn the right to compete for a spot in the final 12-man squad...

By Michael Thompson

Matthew Dellavedova will have the opportunity to recreate memories from the Tokyo Olympics, as he seeks to gain selection to the final 12-man squad for the Paris games. Photo: FIBA
Matthew Dellavedova will have the opportunity to recreate memories from the Tokyo Olympics, as he seeks to gain selection to the final 12-man squad for the Paris games. Photo: FIBA

Matthew Dellavedova has been named in a 24-man squad for the Australian Boomers at the Paris Olympics.

Dellavedova’s strong form in the National Basketball League (NBL) has seen him earn the right to compete for a spot in the final 12-man squad which will compete in the French capital later this year, as they look to back up their third-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

It is an opportunity for Dellavedova to make his fourth Olympic team, having previously represented Australia in London in 2012, Rio in 2016 and the aforementioned Tokyo Olympics.

Dellavedova is one of nine players from the NBL selected in the squad, alongside Melbourne United teammate Chris Goulding, as well as talents such as Tasmania Jack Jumpers championship winner Jack McVeigh and emerging talents such as Will McDowell-White and Dejan Vasiljevic.

The overall squad is completed with an influx of talent from the National Basketball Association (NBA), with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey, Orlando Magic’s Joe Ingles, the Dallas Mavericks’ Dante Exum and New Orleans Pelicans’ Bendigo-local Dyson Daniels also included in the squad.

Dellavedova is expected to provide competition for a guard spot after having an excellent campaign for United in the NBL which yielded 12.9 points per game, 6.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds on 43 percent shooting, in a season which saw them narrowly miss out on championship glory.

It was no fault of Dellavedova, who enjoyed a stellar finals campaign.

Highlights of Delly’s finals campaign saw him drop 30 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a stellar first game of United’s series win against Illawarra, while he also enjoyed a consistent championship series, dropping 21 points in game three, and averaging almost seven assists a game, keeping his teammates involved throughout.

The squad will now be put through their paces, with a training camp in July, before a final squad of 12 will be picked to take on the Paris Olympics.

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