MELBOURNE (2015 FIBA Oceania Championship) - Andrew Bogut played an important role for the Golden State Warriors this season as they captured the NBA title for the first time in 40 years.

Winning an NBA championship was one of his main goals as a basketball player.

Now the veteran is preparing to help Australia's Boomers make it to the Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil.

The start of the preparations is less than two weeks away.

Bogut, who hasn't played with Australia since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is planning on being with the Andres Lemanis-coached national team when it squares off against New Zealand 15 August in Melbourne and then three days later in Wellington.

The team that wins will clinch an Olympic berth while the side that loses will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

"It’s very important that we win those two games," he said.

Brazil could possibly be my last Olympics so hopefully we can get there. - Bogut

The prospects for Australia making a serious run at the Olympic podium in Rio, should they qualify, would appear to be as good as they have ever been.

Bogut and Aron Baynes are in the best position to log most of the minutes at center, while Matthew Dellavedova, an NBA playoffs sensation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Baynes' San Antonio Spurs teammate Pat Mills would play a lot in the backcourt with Dante Exum.

Exum's Utah teammate Joe Ingles will be available and ready to play on the wing, and there is also the tantalizing prospect of having Ben Simmons involved again after his freshman season in American college basketball with Louisiana State University.

Simmons could end up being a top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

We've got our best opportunities coming up. - Bogut

"I've knocked off the [NBA] championship ring which is almost number one on the check list with the Olympic gold medal so if you can knock those two off it, would be a beautiful career," said Bogut.

The NBA landscape is much different now for the 30-year-old than it was when he went into the league 10 years ago.

When he was taken with the first pick in the draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was the one and only NBA player from his country in the competition.

"It was pretty lonely at times and now we've got seven, eight, nine every year and more coming," Bogut said.

"Hopefully one day we'll have a full Boomers squad of NBA talent which would be absolutely sensational.

"It can only help the game here locally and help the game worldwide."

FIBA