A lingering concussion has forced Matthew Dellavedova into a frustrating wait on the sideline as he entertains a breakthrough Boomers gold later this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Cleveland guard has been an NBA spectator since a March 6 head knock soured an otherwise successful return to the side he won a ring with in 2016.
It means Dellavedova's next official game won't be until Australia's World Cup warm up against Canada - starring his Cavs teammate Tristan Thompson - in Perth on August 16.
The full-strength Boomers play Canada twice before two Melbourne appearances against the United States in front of more than 50,000 fans.
The World Cup in China follows and Dellavedova has made no secret of his golden ambition and hope that NBA All-Star Ben Simmons will join him once he finalises his next big-money contract.
"Everything's kind of lined up to create a once in a lifetime opportunity," the 28-year-old from Maryborough said of the high-quality warm up games on home soil.
"At the same time you've got to stay focused - we all got together last off season and discussed what we needed to do in the lead up to ... win a gold medal."
The Victorian said his time on the sidelines has dragged, offering through gritted teeth that the best recovery advice was to "just take your time".
"You can't really speed it up or push through it like an ankle or something like that," he said.
"It's been boring at rehab ... and you probably (have to) do less than you think you can do."
He can't wait to reunite with the old gang though, who were pipped for bronze at Rio's Olympics when a questionable late-game call fell Spain's way and left the Boomers choking back tears.
"I've kind of tried to shelve it for now, but I guess we'll see when we get back together and talk about things how we're going to approach it," Dellavedova said of those memories.
"I'm not one to look back in the past too much, whether bad or good, because what matters is what you're doing at the moment and what you're going to do next."
"We know we've got a great opportunity and just want to make the most of it."
Tickets to watch the Boomers take on USA at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Thursday August 22 and Saturday August 24 are available from Ticketmaster.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
