Local Sporting Champions, where are they now? The Basketball World Cup!

28 August 2023

Five players on the Boomers team contesting at 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup were once junior athletes applying for an ASC Local Sporting Champion (LSC) grant.

LSC Boomers then, from top left: Dante Exum, Josh Giddey, Jack White (with Andrew Bogut), Dyson Daniels and Xavier Cooks.

Five players on the Boomers team contesting at 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup were once junior athletes applying for an ASC Local Sporting Champion (LSC) grant.

Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey, Xavier Cooks, Jack White and Dante Exum were all recipients of the grant during their formative years.

Giddey and Daniels are both familiar faces at the AIS campus, having previously lived and trained onsite through Basketball Australia’s NBA Global Academy. The high performance program operates as a hub for top prospective players from outside the U.S.

Daniels was supported by an LSC grant across four seasons between 2015 and 2022, and Giddey received three grants during his time as a junior.

The childhood friends went on to become the first two graduates drafted from the Global Academy in as many years, with Giddey picked by Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021, followed by Daniels with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022.

The former LSC’s now join Boomer legends such as co-captains Patty Mills and Joe Ingles on the Aussie men’s World Cup campaign.

The team won their opening game against Finland 98-72, with Giddey coming close to a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. They then followed with a close loss to Germany, 82-85.

There is no shortage of up-and-coming coaches, officials and competitors with the current LSC grant round oversubscribed.

The next LSC round will open in November and is available to those aged 12-18 attending state, national and international championships.

Learn more about the financial assistance available for our future sporting stars through the LSC and Local Para Champion programs.