JAKARTA (Indonesia) - It's always 'we' and never 'I' for Australia.

"I think we take that with a lot of pride in the way that we want to uphold the Boomers' culture,"

The Boomers are zeroing in on ruling the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 and a big factor behind their success has been the effort to get everybody involved - or, as the younger generation of hoopers say, everybody eats.

At third in the FIBA Men's World Ranking, the cagers from Down Under are leading the tilt in assists with 22.4 across five games. And that included the 25 they racked in their 85-76 win over New Zealand to reach the Final.

For veteran Mitch McCarron, it's all about keeping the tradition alive.

"I think we take that with a lot of pride in the way that we want to uphold the Boomers' culture," said the 30-year-old moments after his side emerged victorious in the Semi-Finals at the Istora Senayan.

McCarron is definitely someone who knows a thing or two about Australia basketball's culture, having been part of the national team many times, including the squad that ruled the previous Asia Cup in 2017.

His team then swept its way to the gold, and it's a deja vu of sorts for him now as the Boomers remain spotless entering the title bout. They finished the group stages at 3-0 before beating Japan and New Zealand in the knockout rounds.

And the 1.89 M (6'2") guard has been playing an integral role in their campaign with per-game averages of 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, highlighted by his 13-point, seven-assist outing against the Tall Blacks. 

Then again, it's never about himself nor the numbers, McCarron reiterated.

"You know, the Boomers team that won a medal in the Olympics, and we still want to get a gold medal as a country - you can't go into world tournaments and international basketball thinking about yourself and your stats."

"It's about winning," he said. "So we just try to carry that on."

Definitely, eyes are on Australia if they can keep it going on Sunday night, when they face fan favorites Lebanon for the crown. McCarron knows the challenge that lies ahead courtesy of the Cedars, but they're not backing down.

"It's a very different group that we're playing with this year," he said as he's leading a team that has an average age of 24. 

"At the same time, I think the level has definitely lifted compared to some of the margins that we won by in the first one. And I mean no disrespect, it's that we've been challenged by every team," McCarron added.  

"It's gonna be tough."

FIBA