Kyrie Irving is in Rio on NBA business, but the Cleveland Cavaliers star – elected most valuable player at last month’s FIBA World Cup – cannot help but think about the 2016 Olympic Games. “It will be an amazing Games. This is a great host city and hopefully, if I make the team, I will be looking forward to it,” said the 22-year-old point guard, who top scored in the World Cup final with 26 points as the USA beat Serbia in Madrid.

Irving and his Cavaliers teammates, who include Olympic champions LeBron James and Kevin Love, are in the Marvellous City for a pre-season match against three-time NBA champions Miami Heat, as part of the North American league’s ‘Global Games’ series.

Asked whether being in Rio had whet his appetite for the 2016 Olympic Games, Irving said: “Yeah, I’m excited. I still have to make the team, we have a lot of great players who have a lot more years than I do. But I hope that I can make the team because it would be great to be part of it.”

On the prospect of being in a USA basketball team in Rio with James and Love, he added: “It would be crazy. We’d definitely have a feel for one another that no other players on the team would have.”

Irving sat out training at the Flamengo Basketball Club headquarters on Wednesday (9 October) with a sprained ankle for which he is receiving treatment in the hope of being available for Saturday.

But after taking part in a practice session with local children, he took the chance to eulogise the experience of representing his country at the World Cup. “Being part of that team, being part of something bigger than yourself, is an experience that I will always remember,” he said.

“It was a group that came together for two months – and people say that NBA players are selfish and arrogant and can’t come together – and then we did something spectacular like that for our country. That’s what it’s all about.”

LeBron James was the centre of attention as Cleveland Cavaliers trained in Rio de Janeiro (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

James, who has two Olympic gold medals and one bronze, plus two NBA titles, has also been impressed by Rio. “It’s a great place,” he said. “I was here for the (FIFA) World Cup and seeing how passionate the youth are for sports is amazing. Brazilians are passionate for sports, they are passionate for their country. It is very good to see that people are happy for us to be here.”

Also in the Cleveland camp is Brazilian Anderson Varejão, who competed for his country at the London 2012 Olympic Games. “This is a special moment for Brazilian basketball and a special moment for me. Ten years ago, when I arrived in Cleveland, I never would have imagined that I could play in an NBA game in Brazil, but now it’s happening and it’s a dream for me.”

Check out our photo gallery of Cleveland and Miami training in Rio: