Bogut says he's fit for opening game

Andrew Bogut says he was an "immature snot".

The Australian basketball star has tainted memories of his Olympic debut four years ago in Athens, when the Boomers bombed and failed to get past the first round.

"Athens, I was a 19-year-old immature snot," Bogut said.

"I didn't treat the Olympics the way I should have.

"My head was spinning, there was so much stuff going on and I wasn't a great guy to be around. I was a grumpy fella back then."

The seven-foot centre held his own personally four years ago, but team success is his driving force and he is seeking atonement at the Beijing Games.

"This Olympics, it's so exciting to come back and be in the Australian team environment which is much different to anything else," he said.

"And I want to treat this Olympics for what it's worth and get as much out of it as I can."

Bogut, the first Australian to be a No.1 NBA draft pick, recently inked a contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks worth $US72.5 million ($A80.1 million) over five years.

On Friday, he declared himself recovered from an ankle injury and a certain starter when the Boomers open their Olympic campaign against Croatia on Sunday - an ironic fixture given Bogut's parents are Croatian.

"I am very proud of my bloodlines," he said.

"This has nothing to do what we are trying to do as a team, I am first and foremost an Australian."

Bogut baulked at the `Australia's best ever' tag many pundits have attached to this Olympic squad.

"I am not going to go out there and say this is the best team," he said.

"We like to be the underdogs and keep things level headed and that is the way Australia performs best.

"No-one gives us a chance most of the time, some countries laugh at us before we play them so it's fun to go in there and knock them off and see their faces at the end of the game."