VALENCIA (Spain) - It's been less than a year since Bahamas made the basketball world take notice when they stunned Argentina in their own backyard in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament.
Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, and Buddy Hield all showed up and showed out to lead their nation to triumph - and, the trio are back together once more, in Valencia, for the next part of their mission.
"We know that the job is not done," Hield declared defiantly. "The goal is to approach every game in the right way, we know that it doesn't matter how a roster looks or anything because any team can beat any given time."
Every team is going to get our best shot and we're going to get every team's best shot.
"The chance to play in an Olympics is a dream come true - we're locked in and focused, and trying to make the right jump for this country."
If you rewind a decade ago, a fresh 21-year-old from Freeport was suiting up for his beloved country at the 2014 FIBA CentroBasket in Nayarit, Mexico.
Now, the Bahamas are potentially four wins away from participating in the Olympics for the first time.
"It's been a journey," reflected Hield. "It's been a lot, putting this team together and building a reputation around the world, trying to get the respect. The only way you do that is by winning. We want to let the world know that the Bahamas is coming, and the only way is through winning, so we're just trying to find ways of how we do that.
"It means a lot representing Bahamas - it's a dream come true. Knowing that we're a small country, and what we can accomplish if we win - it would be tremendous for our country, and we'd go down in history - probably one of the smallest countries to make it to the Olympics in the basketball field, so I'm excited."
Hield averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in Argentina last August, with Gordon and Ayton leading the tournament in scoring and rebounds, respectively.
And, while the NBA trio may get the headlines on this roster, it's one that comes with plenty of excitement in other areas, too. 18-year-olds VJ Edgecombe and Donavan Freeman are both talented prospects at prestigious colleges in the States, offering plenty of encouragement about what lies ahead for the Bahamas.
"The future is them. They have a lot of potential, a lot of upside, and I can't wait to see how they grow. Hopefully, I'm still going to be around to play with them."
Hield remains fully focused on the present and adopting the game-at-a-time mentality with his side paired with European opposition in Finland and Poland in what promises to be a fascinating Group B.
But with the allure of a coveted Olympic ticket to Paris within reach, the Bahamas captain can only smile when thinking about what it would mean to fulfil the current mission.
"It's the ultimate gift," he concluded. "You can't get no better than that. You play against the best teams and best players in the world. I feel like with the Olympics, the sky is the limit - all the high-level players want to compete there for their country and I would not be more happy to be a part of that."
FIBA