Team USA say they're gonna need a bigger boat. Meanwhile, Andrew Bogut just wants a bigger bed.

It's become Olympic tradition: the USA's men's basketball team, a whole constellation of genuine sporting superstars, are thrown to the wolves of the international media days before the opening ceremony.

Reporters and cameramen fall and trip over each other and elbow each other in the head in media scrums to ask the big questions, like just how luxurious is that luxury cruise ship the men's and women's teams are staying on?

Even though there was no LeBron James and Steph Curry, the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony ensured there was enough star power to light up this media conference.

And when they weren't answering questions about the boat, some were fielding questions about their Australian counterparts.

Klay Thompson was asked about Bogut, his former Golden State Warriors teammate who has overcome a knee injury to take his place in the Boomers side — and also whinge about the poor state of the athletes' village, including the size of the beds.

"I haven't talked to him about it yet but Andrew's been spoiled, he's been in the NBA for 10 years," Thompson said.

"He's probably been travelling as best you can but when he gets on that court he'll forget about all that and play his hardest. I'm happy he's out there more than anything to play this Olympics for his country. He's going to be a force we'll have to deal with."

The Boomers meet the Dream Team in their third match of the tournament, something that's seen as a blessing in disguise by the Australians because it means they are unlikely to play them in the early sudden-death games if they get that far.

"They're a very big team, a very physical team and I'm excited to play them the most because I have some good friends on their team and Australia are full of pride when they play for their country so they won't back down," Thompson said. "It'll be a great challenge."

Irving loves the Australian that was on his NBA team, too, having won this year's NBA championship with Boomers point guard Matthew Dellavedova at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I absolutely am looking forward to seeing one of my championship brothers," Irving gushed. "We've bonded forever, we're niched [sic] in history, me and Matthew Dellavedova. We're brothers for life."

While we've got you, Kyrie, we may as well ask the obligatory question about whether you ever wonder about playing for Australia? Having been born in Melbourne, and spending a whole of two years growing up in Kew, and holding dual citizenship, do you ever think of being a Boomer instead of playing in the team loaded with NBA megastars?

"Oh man, that time has passed," he said. "The last time I considered playing in the green and gold I was 17 years old and the head coach of this team, I don't think he would allow it to happen."

Draymond Green doesn't want to be a Boomer either. He doesn't even know what one is.

Asked what it would be like to be beaten by the Boomers, the Golden State power forward replied: "To who? The Boomers?"

The Australian men's team.

"Oh".

Quick! Back to the boat!

Such is the sense of inevitability about the Dream Team claiming gold for the third consecutive Olympics, most of the talk around the team so far has been about the "Silver Cloud" luxury cruise liner, their accommodation which has been docked at the Port of Rio this week.

"I wouldn't call it a cruise ship," Irving insisted. "A cruise ship has 18 levels and 2000 rooms. For us, it's a private environment for USA basketball, men's and women's. And then there's a cruise ship right next to us that has our family and friends. It's pretty cool for me. I enjoy sitting on my balcony and looking out on the water."

DeMar DeRozan says he's never been on a boat. He likes being on a boat, though.

"The shower heads, we've got to duck down a little bit for those," he said. "But it's great to share the experience with the guys. On a boat. It's my first time on a boat."

DeAndre Jordan says he's also never been on a boat. And neither has teammate Jimmy Butler, who is freaked out by the boat.

"Jimmy Butler doesn't like water," Jordan said. "We asked him, 'Would you jump off the boat?' He said, 'No! Don't even play with me about it'."

Great to see the big names of the biggest basketball team in the world answering the big questions.