Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Former Boomers coach Goorjian thinks Kyrie Irving could be the “missing piece” for Australia
Lachlan Geleit • February 19th, 2025 9:43 am
Former Boomers coach Brian Goorjian hopes to see NBA superstar Kyrie Irving in the green and gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Dallas point guard, 32, was born in Melbourne in 1992 when his father Drederick was playing in the SEABL for Bulleen but moved to the US aged two where he’s remained since.
The dual Australian-United States citizen has previously been linked to representing his country of birth and flagged a real interest in playing for Australia when he revealed at the NBA All-Star weekend that he was ‘in the process’ of seeing if he’d be eligible to change his international allegiance.
Having played 17 games for Team USA where he even won MVP honours at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Irving could be the missing piece for the green and gold, according to Goorjian.
“If he is eligible, I definitely could see him welcomed with open arms joining the Boomers,” Tokyo Olympics bronze-medal winning coach Goorjian said on SEN Whateley.
“I just thought after the past Olympics that we introduced a lot of guys as you can see in the NBA now in Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale … when you look at that group, you’ve got some pieces, but the piece that is missing is a guy like that.
“To have Kyrie, a guy that can make a play when it's close on his own, or get to the ball to the right guy, it's just a piece that the Boomers don't have.”
While the nine-time NBA All-Star’s on-court abilities are obvious, Goorjian thinks that one non-negotiable that he’ll need to buy into is the famed Boomers culture which was cultivated by the likes of Patty Mills, Joe Ingles and Andrew Bogut among others.
“In Tokyo how we medalled is through what we’re respected for outside of our country – the camaraderie and the teamship that you get from sport in Australia is at a level above 95% of the nations in those games,” Goorjian said.
“That's what got us over the line … so with Kyrie … that’s very, very important.
“Kyrie’s ability to come into the group and be a part of that culture (is important). He has to be a dynamic player in it and lead in that area.
“But I'm on the outside. I haven't touched it. I don't know Kyrie and I don’t know how the guys feel about it.”
If he can buy into the culture of the side and wear the green and gold at LA 2028, Goorjian thinks that the addition of Irving can turn Australia from a medal prospect to a genuine gold medal hopeful.
“This talent pool that the Boomers have right now is elite,” Goorjian said.
“If you add a piece like that to it that has respect from all the other countries in the world, respect from all the players playing because they're all NBA players…
“Now you're talking to me like you’ve moved from medal prospect to, man, you're right there for the gold.”
Irving was left out of the Team USA squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The guard will be 36 years old by the beginning of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
