Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson has opened up on her remarkable comeback to the Opals ahead of the FIBA Women's World Cup beginning on September 22 in Sydney.
Jackson, at 41-years-old, says her return to the national team has been 'a whirlwind' and 'mind boggling', but is embracing the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd including her two children.
"I feel like I'm on borrowed time a little bit and I just want to make every moment last," Jackson said.
"I just don't know how long it's going to last … I'm pretty sure the whole time I was just like, there's no way I can do that or compete at that level again.
"I'm just going to take it day by day, keep working and keep trying to get better and you know, when that final day hits, it's still good, at least I had a crack.
"For me it's just enjoying it … my kids being able to see me represent Australia, I think that's so incredible."
Taking it for granted in early years
Jackson's journey to return to the Opals came just six months after signing to play for her hometown Albury-Wodonga Bandits in NBL1.
After she retired from basketball in 2016 due to chronic knee injuries, 'LJ' picked up where she left off more than half a decade later.
In her first game back, she scored 21 points and pulled in five rebounds in just over half a game.
By the end of the season she averaged 31.9 points per game and 12.6 rebounds on the court, clearly a cut above the rest, and has now signed with Southside Flyers in the WNBL.
But pulling on the green and gold is something that is even more important to the four-time Olympian, three-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA champion, four-time WNBL MVP, five-time WNBL champion, seven-time WNBA All-Star, and the first Australian player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
It will be Jackson's first time with the Opals in nine years, and the first World Championships since Australia missed out on medals in 2010 at Czech Republic.
"Representing Australia means a whole lot more to me now than it did when I didn't know anything else," Jackson said.
"I often look back now and I think — did I take it for granted? — I must have."
"The amount of emotions that I've had the last couple of months just wearing the green and gold, again representing Australia, it has really made me sort of think, wow, it really did mean a lot to you and you do take it for granted."
What's old is new again in rebuilding Opals culture
At 41, Jackson is the most experienced player in the team, and 18 years older than the youngest member, Ezi Magbegor at 23, and said she 'was old enough to be their mother' on the day she was announced in her return to the squad.
Jackson said while she's feeling good about her body, the rebuild of the Opals off the court was just as important after the controversial departure of star centre Liz Cambage.
"For me it's a bit of a 'look after your body' game at the moment and make sure that I don't do anything that could jeopardise my physical presence or health," she said.
"I think my role in that is probably just to be myself. I think bringing my experiences from like way back when, but also my perspective, I think that is probably more beneficial for the girls now than it would have been back then.
"And then also share mindset and different things. My input is more around who I am as an athlete and a person and hopefully I can help them. I just want to do what I can to help the girls win.
"I understand that I'm not the player that I used to be. I'm not as athletic, but I think that the minutes that I will play, they'll be good minutes."
Being able to share her wisdom from her time at the Opals, and assist new captain Tess Madgen, is a key element to passing on knowledge to younger players.
"I had so much anxiety when I was young and now just looking back on it, I wish that I had have just really embraced every single moment.
"I would say to myself to just embrace every moment like, don't be afraid. Like everything works out, just go for it.
"I think just knowing how much of an incredible opportunity this is and being able to share that.
"I was really lucky I had such a successful career and to be back here is just mind boggling."
Medicinal cannabis could be beneficial for other athletes
Jackson said medicinal cannabis has "been incredible" for her chronic pain management, attributing an exemption as a way of returning to the court competitively.
It is currently prohibited from use while athletes are in competition in sport.
"I think the stigma around medicinal cannabis is definitely prohibiting it from being used more widely, and I think it would be very beneficial for athletes," she said.
"As a female athlete, you have to play year-round, and what this process has told me is that you need time to work on your strength and your rehab and you need to listen to your body.
"I never had the opportunity to do that when I was playing because I was just in the washer, I was in America, I was in Europe, I was in Australia, I was playing with the national team."
For Jackson while being able to use medicinal cannabis, it has literally been a game-changer.
"For me what it did was it was an anti-inflammatory drug, so it helped me pretty much just have consistent training, being able to go to the courts and train every single day rather than going to the gym one time and my knee flaring up or my hip flaring up. I wasn't having those flare ups as often."
"So initially, especially back in the beginning, it gave me the opportunity to get that consistency with my training and really build up some strength. It was very helpful for me.
Time off has been 'a gift'
While fans have loved seeing LJ back in green and gold in successful warm-up matches to lead into the World Cup, the emotional return for Jackson remains the opportunity to play out a bonus in her career — to play in front of her kids.
"I feel like the last eight years have been a gift," she said despite limited time on the court.
"I've had two beautiful children in my life. I couldn't have asked for anything better. This is just a bonus.
"It's been such a wild journey. And the fact I get to do it in front of my kids now is just like the best thing ever."
Among six games on the first day of the FIBA Women's World Cup, Australia will face France in the headline match at Sydney Super Dome on Thursday September 22 from 8:30pm AEST.
