The NBA playoffs have just wrapped up with the Golden State Warriors crowned champions.
But the rest of the league's teams and players have had weeks if not months to take stock on the season that was: among them, a 21-year-old from Castle Hill in north-western Sydney – Dallas Mavericks' guard Josh Green.
His side fell one step short of making the title-deciding series, going down to the eventual champions the Warriors in five games.
"Looking back on [the season] being in the Western Conference finals and also winning a bronze medal, it's awesome but you know it sets high standards now," he told the ABC.
When it comes to standards Green set the bar high in his second season with the Mavericks, racking up a career-high 18 points against the Chicago Bulls, as well as his first double-double against the Sacramento Kings in March.
"I think a lot of it comes with timing and opportunity. This year coach [Jason] Kidd was able to give me a great opportunity to play a lot more minutes," Green said.
Less than halfway through the regular season, the 21-year-old had already clocked up more time on the court than during his entire rookie year.
Green – who played 67 games this NBA season — added: "We have a great team, a lot of great guards who are alongside me, so you know it's just waiting for your turn and making sure you're ready."
A big boost claiming bronze
Green's motivation though hasn't just come from inside the Mavericks camp.
Twelve months on from his first Olympic Games in Tokyo as part of the Australian men's basketball team, Green still pinches himself, claiming the Boomers' first medal in the sport — a bronze — after fourth-place finishes in Atlanta, Sydney and Rio.
"Words can't even describe; the medal is sitting right next to my bed. I wake up every morning, look at it, it's a good start to the day," Green said.
"It's also so much more than just a medal, being around the great group of guys, it's like a family you know what I mean? I make sure that I keep in contact with all of them," he added.
Josh Green is talking about the likes of Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Matisse Thybulle and Jock Landale, all his opponents in the NBA and fellow Boomers who've paved the way for Australians playing in the highly competitive American competition.
The goal to play sport professionally and represent Australia is something Green dreamed up as a kid, although basketball wasn't his first preference.
Green grew up watching the likes of Tim Cahill and the Socceroos and initially showed promise as a young footballer playing AFL in the GWS Giants and Sydney Swans academies.
By the age of 10, he'd excelled in several sports at a state level before moving to the US in 2014.
"I had a time when I first moved to America when I thought, you know, maybe basketball isn't for me. I wasn't the best player when I was younger when I moved here," Green said.
Four years after his arrival in 2018, Green signed to the University of Arizona to play basketball.
"One year I was just trying to get into a division 3 any school in America just to get a free education and it started just unwinding," he recalled.
Within just two years, Green was selected with the 18th pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
The next step
After a short vacation post the Mavericks' loss in the Western Conference final, Green is already back in Texas starting off-season training and preparing for his third season with Dallas.
More minutes on the court is the initial goal for the next year.
"If you can play 82 games in a season, it's a great year. So that's my goal to make sure my body's well," he said.
"Moving forward, I'm like, all I want to do now is win, and with winning comes individual goals … I know that if I can reach the goal of getting a championship ring, you know everything will come with that."
Green still has two years remaining on his four-year contract with the Mavericks.
The 21-year-old hopes to play for the Boomers in the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, his sights are also set on claiming another medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
"A thousand per cent, you know, I always think about," he said.
"It's hard because you have to stay in the present, but it's also very exciting to know we're going to have a great group of guys and a very good team."
Green admitted the goal – once his NBA career is over – is to move back to Australia permanently.
"I think I just miss everything; I miss the culture I miss being around my family and other Australians."
Another big point of conjecture? Green's cravings for a bacon and egg roll, dissatisfied with typical American breakfast and the absence of his ultimate sweet craving.
He laughed: "I miss food so much. I get red frogs sent to my house every month. It's basically a subscription at this point."
