At 33 years old, Matthew Dellavedova closed the door to the NBA, and he joined Melbourne United this summer. It’s anything but a pre-retirement for the former Cavaliers leader since he has set himself a goal: to rejoin the Australian squad to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games. Competition is tough for the positions of back among the Boomers, but he wants to give himself the means to compete in his 4th Olympiad!
“For me, the Boomers are the pinnacle”, admits LeBron James’ former teammate. “I never took it for granted. I know how lucky I was to represent Australia. I always feel like my best basketball is ahead of me, so I really want to be a part of the Boomers as long as possible. The goal is to help United win a championship and do everything in my power to be part of the team in Paris. »
After a season as a mentor on the Sacramento side, “Delly” needed to play to show himself, and only a return home allowed him to have playing time. For his coach, it is a chance to recover a player overmotivated.
Vengeful and overmotivated
“We knew we were dealing with a very motivated player”confirms Dean Vickerman. ” He is strong. Physically, he’s in the best shape I’ve seen in a long time. There is his diet. He does everything necessary to put all the chances on his side. It’s obvious that the World Cup was a goal for him and he didn’t achieve it. He moved on quickly. There’s yet another international goal, a Boomers goal for him that’s not that far away. »
Holder or 6th man, Matthew Dellavedova is already shining with his new team, with 28 points in 19 minutes, then 20 points in 22 minutes. As if he wanted to make up for lost time.
“Delly is such a competitor” testifies his teammate and former Parisian Chris Goulding. “There is a fire in him that never goes out. He had a setback with the Boomers, and he obviously handled it differently than many. It’s a good thing for us at Melbourne United that he comes, is competitive and puts himself forward… He needed to get rid of the aggression that had been building up for weeks and years. weeks. I’m not surprised because he does. He has shown at every level, in the basketball world, that he can do it: he comes into play, makes these games like Delly, and that’s it. »
