Australia's booming line-up might include Kyrie in 2028

• Kyrie Irving could be the answer to "Boomers' Patty" in backcourt
• The Boomers could name a squad of NBA players
• NBL Next Stars Alex Toohey and Rocco Zikarsky are in the mix

NBA superstar Kyrie Irving piqued Australian fans' curiosity through a brief soundbite last month after playing against Boomers guard Josh Green and the Charlotte Hornets.

"Hopefully, I get to see him on the Aussie team soon," Irving said.

We all know the story — having been born in Australia, Irving spent a brief two years in Melbourne before his family moved to the US — the country Irving would represent in junior FIBA play and, ultimately, in an Olympics, suiting up for Team USA in 2016.

Although the ties may be thin, interest in Kyrie Irving becoming a Boomer seems strong now. Is it possible? Do Australian fans want it? And how would it work?

The History

A similar story played out in 2012. At 19 years old, having joined Melbourne’s unmatched list of number-one NBA draft picks, the young guard was offered the opportunity to represent Australia at the 2012 Olympics Games in London.

Amid speculation about his FIBA allegiance, Irving declared in interviews, "I’m Aussie born and I consider myself an Aussie," adding that, "I’d like to be a part of the culture here and do something special for Australian basketball."

Although both sides maintain discussions were serious and genuine, the appointment of Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), Kyrie’s coach at Duke, to Head Coach of Team USA appeared to influence the budding star to play for the Americans.

In 2014, Irving secured gold with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, earning tournament MVP. He won Olympic Gold with the team in Rio in 2016.

It was a successful few years, but Irving has not made any further appearances for Team USA.

The Opportunity

Kyrie’s comments are not a one-off occurrence — it’s clear that Irving is publicly posturing for the opportunity to represent Australia going forward.

Speaking to The Athletic in 2023, Irving said "I would love to entertain playing for Team Australia.”

Public pressure may be required for the switch even to be feasible. Per the current FIBA regulations: "A player who has competed in an official FIBA competition after reaching age 17 is tied to that country. Those who played for one country before turning 17 may play for a different country if both countries' federations agree, with the FIBA Secretary General deciding if the federations do not agree. FIBA has an exception that allows the Secretary General to authorise a nationality change to a player's "country of origin" (i.e., a country where the player has recent ancestral roots) if it is "in the interest of the development of basketball in the country".

We’ve seen more movement than ever in the FIBA scene, including players who have represented Australia, including Sunday Dech and Thon Maker seek to play for South Sudan, but a move from one developed basketball nation to another is unprecedented. Despite being born in the country, it would seemingly require the blessing of Basketball USA, who would rightfully be apprehensive about handing their competitors a player of Irving’s calibre.

The Role

Kyrie Irving will be 36 by the 2028 Olympics in the US — his decision to pick the USA will forever be a what-if for Australian basketball, no matter what happens going forward. However, even in the twilight of his career, the prospect of adding Irving to the Boomers roster remains incredibly tantalising.

Now 32, Irving is still performing close to his best, averaging 24 points per game on an above-career average 59.8 TS% for the Dallas Mavericks. His role is about to get even bigger with the stunning trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for All-NBA centre Anthony Davis.

His sheer craft and skill level on the offensive end are helping him age gracefully, and there are no signs that Irving is ready to stop being an elite scoring weapon at the NBA level.

As the signs started to show in Paris, the Boomers need shooting and shot creation. Patty Mills — with full respect to his all-time great Olympic career — has filled this role with great success over the past decade and more, but in the twilight of his career, it appears his ability to be this team’s offensive star is inconsistent.

Where the future Boomers shine is defensively and athletically. We possess some of the world’s most formidable perimeter defenders in Dyson Daniels, Matisse Thybulle, and Josh Green. We also have an exceptional facilitator in Josh Giddey. However, what often seemed lacking was a dynamic offensive weapon in the half-court—one capable of providing spacing for our athletes and shot-making at the end of the shot clock.

In many ways, Irving’s on-court fit would be seamless. While capable of dominating the ball and scoring out of isolation, Irving is also comfortable and proven playing off other creators such as LeBron James or Luka Doncic. His shooting makes him a weapon off the ball.

Even his deficiencies will be handily mitigated. With our countless perimeter defenders, the Boomers would be afforded the luxury of placing Irving on the opposition’s weakest perimeter players. With the potential evolution of NBL Next Star Rocco Zikarsky over the next four years, we may have a world-class rim protector manning the second line of defense.

The Squad

I can hear the complaints already, but while we’re playing hypotheticals, why not envision what a 2028 roster with not only Irving but Ben Simmons might look like:

Do I expect this to be the roster in four years’ time? Absolutely not. For every Tyrese Proctor, there’s a Will McDowell-White, Taran Armstrong, or Ben Henshall. For every Zikarsky, there’s an Alex Condon. And for every Toohey, there’s a Xavier Cooks, Jack White, or Luke Travers. It’s impossible to predict when our wealth of young talent is so extensive, but we’re beginning to see how this roster might evolve, more broadly speaking.

Big wings. Stretch fives. And a lot of smart players who know how to pass the rock. But one thing is for certain — we lack offensive star power post-Patty, if not for Irving. Quite simply, he could be the difference between a medal or not.

Where does Simmons fit? He’s not the super versatile switch defender he once was, but he’s still a solid, smart defender and a massive lineup booster in the second unit, ball in hand as one of the most creative passers of his generation. He could even slide to the five, depending on the matchup, and operate as a playmaking big out of the short roll.

There are plenty of ways things could unfold over the next Olympic cycle, but one thing is for certain: the era marked by Patty Mills and Joe Ingles is drawing to an inevitable close, and those are some huge shoes to fill. It seems improbable, but Kyrie Irving might just be part of the solution.

About the Author

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.