The Australian National Basketball Team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is know in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 6th in the world and finishing 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.Australia is a regional power in all forms of basketball. Being placed in the relatively weak FIBA Oceania region, the sides qualification for Olympic Games and World Championships is often a three match competition against the other regional power, the New Zealand Tall Blacks.
Traditionally, the Boomers have been selected from the teams making up the Australian National Basketball League. This has changed in recent years, with many Australian players heading to the stronger Euroleague to play. The Boomers now have four players in the National Basketball Association in the United States. Several of the teams squad are student athletes in the US College system. Close to half of the squad plays outside of Australia. The development of the Australian Institute of Sport has helped the establishment of Australia on the international stage.