“Gold” remains in the Boomers’ sights despite the Tokyo Olympics’ delay, Aussie centre Aron Baynes confident his side have the talent to make history in Japan.

Australia’s men’s senior basketball team were highly touted heading into 2019’s FIBA World Cup, but fell agonisingly short of a guaranteed first medal at a major tournament, after their semi-final overtime loss to champions Spain.

Fresh from signing a two-year $14.3 million (USD) deal with Toronto, Baynes is excited to suit up for Australia again and the opportunity to claim gold with longtime teammates Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Ingles.

“There’s nothing like it (representing Australia), let alone at the Olympics. Growing up in Australia, I mean, my first sporting memory is being glued to the TV for the 1992 Olympics,” Baynes told SEN.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got to get to the Olympics’. That’s what I remember. I watched the entire two weeks of that Olympics.

“Being able to pull on that green and gold, we’re a family, we’ve grown up together, we’ve come a long way from playing together in our junior days to now getting to represent Australia.

“Basketball has been so good to me and playing for the Australian team has been so good for my career, there’s no second thought for me ever, it’s always ‘I’m doing whatever I can to get out there and play’.

“Getting to go out there and play on the floor with my brothers is going to be fun and we’re going to go get the gold medal and we have a lot of confidence about us right now, we know we can do it, it’s just a matter of everyone staying healthy and getting out there and giving it our best shot.”

“We got to go get the gold, we have a lot of confidence about us right now. We know we can do it, it’s just a matter of everyone staying healthy, getting out there and giving it our best shot.”

This year’s NBA free agency was made a little more stressful with Baynes’ partner due to give birth to their third child at the start of December.

After a brief stint in Tampa Bay, the 33-year-old will join 2019 NBA champions the Raptors and highly respected coach Nick Nurse.

“I’ve played against their coach a number of times,” he said.

“It goes back to the 2012 Olympics, was the first time I played against Nick Nurse when he was coaching the Great Britain team in London.

“I know he’s a great coach and I know what he can do, but I’ve also got some really good playmakers and some guys that I’ll just go out there and try and make their job a little easier.”

The 208 cm big man averaged 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting just over 35% from three-point range.

Brian Goorjian’s return to the Boomers helm has provided renewed hope that superstar Ben Simmons could line up alongside Baynes, however, NBA’s schedule could be the biggest barrier in 2021.