Boomers keep Simmons dream alive

The past era of the Australian Boomers has arguably been its most successful, highlighted by the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

But the country’s men’s national team is heading into a new phase under Head Coach Adam Caporn.

The former Wollongong Hawk and Perth Wildcat, who was in charge of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence men’s program from 2014-2021, before moving to the United States to work in their college system and the NBA, was appointed as the successor for Brian Goorjian in 2025.

“My role is to help people flourish in their professional careers,” Caporn said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

One of the stars that Caporn is referring to with that comment is three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons, who Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze believes ‘would dominate’ in the NBL.

Simmons, who spent time with Caporn at the Brooklyn Nets, is yet to feature for the Boomers, but the newly appointed coach hopes to have the former top NBA Draft pick available for selection at the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Ben’s working to get healthy, and we’ll see what the future holds. But we’re here to support him as a person first and, if there’s a time when it works out, you’ll wear the green and gold, we’d be ecstatic,” Caporn said.

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While Caporn, who is the 10th Boomers coach, hopes to have Simmons available for the country’s next top international tournaments, he explained that several other long-time servants of the program are also in the mix.

Olympic medallist Patty Mills, Melbourne United’s Joe Ingles and Sydney Kings’ Matthew Dellavedova have all played a pivotal role in getting the program to where it is today.

And while some have been quick to retire that key trio and pass the baton to the Boomers’ next generation, headlined by Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, Caporn kept the door ajar for all three to be involved in the green and gold moving forward.

“What we need from them is to be healthy, happy ... there are a number of guys in that sort of experience bracket that are still fighting to be in the team and are proven performers, [but all I] keep saying that selection is going to be very tough,”  Caporn said.

The Boomers next hit the hardwood in July, with a pair of FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Guam and the Philippines in Perth.

Read the full story here >> Battle of the ages: The veteran Boomers stars fighting for one last Olympic charge