Former Boomers coach Brian Goorjian does not expect Australia to be in Olympic medal contention in Rio de Janeiro, but he believes they can be a realistic gold medal chance at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.Australian basketball seems set to enter a golden era with 2016 No. 1 Draft pick Ben Simmons and fellow first-round draftee Thon Maker adding to whats already a talented roster featuring NBA championship winners Patrick Mills, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova.However, injuries and personal preferences will see a whole host of Australian stars sitting out when Rio gets underway in August.Dante Exum and Simmons will miss the Olympic campaign, as both are electing to concentrate on getting their bodies right for the 2017 NBA season, while Andrew Bogut is recovering from the left knee injury he suffered in the NBA Finals while playing for Golden State Warriors before he was traded to Dallas Mavericks. Bogut expects to be named in Australias 12-man squad for Rio, but uncertainty remains about his fitness for the Games.They are no doubt going to take a step forward from where they have been, and it is a really exciting time now for Australian basketball, Goorjian, who coached the Boomers from 2001 to 2008, told ESPN.The last two Olympics have been similar for the Boomers [quarterfinals]. I think this team will do better, but a gold or silver medal is still another Olympics away.The thing works in cycles and it looks great on paper, but I do think that there is a process in learning to play together.Goorjian also expects the Rio Olympics to act as a send-off for some of Australias senior players.The Boomers 18-man squad features five players over 30 years of age -- David Anderson (36), Damian Martin (31), Bogut (31), Aleks Maric (31) and Brad Newley (30) -- who are all unlikely to be in contention for 2020 Olympic selection.That group thats there now will be in their last Olympics and then youll have Simmons, Maker and Exum in their prime, Goorjian said. When all of those pieces fall into place there will be an opportunity for a gold medal.Goorjian has spent the past eight years working as a basketball coach in China, after stepping down from the Boomers in 2008, and he says that Australias hard work and deserved successes are being noticed in the rest of the world.If youre in Europe or Asia, everyone is well aware of the progress Australia has made and people are scratching their heads asking what they are doing over there, Goorjian said.Four Australians have featured in an NBA Championship-winning roster in the past three years, with San Antonio Spurs, the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, and Simmons in June became the third Melbourne-born player in 11 years to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.Being in China, all of the young players are aware of Australian basketball now and all they talk about is Ben Simmons and Thon Maker.Everybody likes to see what Australia has done because its always punching above its weight. 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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Certain members of the Golden State Warriors didnt take too kindly to the props LeBron James used at his annual Halloween party over the weekend.The part they took exception to was a skeleton James had stationed on a stage with 3-1 Lead inscribed on the bass drum head, a clear shot at the Warriors squandering a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals.In January, before the Warriors first visit to Quicken Loans Arena since winning the 2015 title there, Cavaliers players felt Curry was disrespectful in saying he hoped the visiting locker room?still smelled like champagne.I dont think they like that Steph [Curry] said that, Warriors guard Shaun Livingston told ESPN. ... Guys see it and everybody feels their own way about it, but it just fuels everybody for the next time we play them.Maybe this was James way of issuing some payback.Draymond Green just flashed a massive smile when ESPN asked him about James skeleton prop.More power to them, he said. I already got enough fuel. I dont need more. Enjoy.Klay Thompson, visibly irritated by the subject, sternly told ESPN, Man, I dont care about that.Curry simply said, Im just going to keep it quiet. He then shook his head and giggled.Kevin Durant even chimed in, although he wasnt a member of the Warriors last season. However, he knows what it feels like to be up 3-1 only to lose the next three games. He said he doesnt want to get involved in the bback-and-forth shots.dddddddddddd.Im a basketball player, bro. Im a basketball player, Durant told ESPN. If youve got any disputes or any feuds or anything with anybody that plays the game, lets just check it up. That really dont mean s--- to me, all the jokes.Durant said he can empathize with how both teams are feeling about this situation.I wasnt here last year, but I obviously know from being on the team, you dont want to see nothing like that [from Cavs], he said. Me personally, its just jokes because you still have to play. Just like Im sure there were so many jokes that went on about Cleveland and LeBron over the years, and you still have to play on the court. So none of that s--- matters until you duke it out on the court.I understand why anybody would [be angry], and I understand what LeBron is coming from. If you won a championship for your city and you did it in historic fashion, its something that youll never forget. So, no hard feelings. I understand where both sides are coming from, I guess.These two teams will meet for the first time this season on Christmas Day in Cleveland. There will be no love lost.All it is is more fuel for the fire, Livingston said. Thats it. Were not going to say, All, thats great, we like it. But it is what it is. Its part of the sport. ' ' '