SAITAMA, Japan — OK, so I'm never going to be an astronaut or President of the United States. But is it too late for me to be JaVale McGee when I grow up?

Not to suggest McGee leads a charmed life, but a dude known as Big Daddy Wookie has earned himself three championship rings while being paid more than $65 million during 13 seasons of traveling first class in the NBA.

Not too shabby, eh? Beats working, if you ask me.

Then, while lounging on his sofa this summer, not long after collecting dust on the Nuggets bench during the playoffs, McGee got a call from Team USA, asking if he'd be interested in panning for gold at the Olympics.

It took him maybe 1.2 seconds to say: Yes!

"I'm in the Olympics. It's a great feeling," McGee said Saturday after Team USA routed the Czech Republic 119-84 and advanced to the tournament's knockout round. "I didn't really understand what this experience was until I got out here. I'm glad I got this experience first-hand instead of just watching (the Olympics) on TV. Way cooler than I thought."

But while in Japan, McGee's thoughts are never far from home. He's a free agent. He needs a job.

"I think about it every day," McGee told me. "But I'm in a blessed position. I'm three championships in. I could possibly get a gold medal. I mean, I don't know how much more resume you need. I work extremely hard, and I'm a helluva player. I go in every day with that mindset, no matter how many people doubt me or feel a certain way about me."

So I felt compelled to ask McGee: After his brief stint with the Nuggets, would he consider returning to Denver?

"Yeah .. definitely," McGee replied. "All I want to do is win. Win and provide for my family. Those are my two main concerns."

OK, anybody out there who had McGee as the Nuggets player most likely to win an Olympic medal in 2021, please identify yourself, because I could use a few stock tips.

Nobody? That's what I thought.

But know what's even crazier than McGee getting a call out of the blue to join Team USA after Kevin Love backed out in the 11th hour? A guy who couldn't get off Denver's bench in the playoffs is seeing more significant time on the court with Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and a cast of NBA all-stars at the Olympics.

Durant scored 23 to lead the rout of the Czech Republic. McGee, however, tallied 10 points during four minutes of the fourth quarter, after any doubt was removed regarding the outcome. But don't call it garbage time, because McGee is having way too much fun.

"A gold meal would mean everything to me," McGee said. "My mother already has one. To add another medal to the McGee legacy would be amazing."

Back in the day, Pamela McGee was a back-to-back champion at the University of Southern California alongside Cheryl Miller. The two USC alums teamed up again to win Olympic gold in 1984, four years before Pam gave birth to JaVale.

Now 58 years old, she's understandably proud of a son and daughter who play basketball professionally. And, yes, this feisty mother still gives life and hoops advice to her grown kids nearly every day, whether via text or video call.

"She always talks about: 'Yeah, y'all really not doing nothing until you get the championship," McGee recalled last week, before Team USA opened the tourney with a stunning loss to France. "Then I got the championship (two with Golden State, one with the Lakers, for those keeping score at home), and she's like: 'You don't have the gold medal.' Now I have the opportunity to get a gold medal. It will be amazing."

NBA free agency officially opens Monday. Let's hope Tim Connelly and the Nuggets have already been chatting with McGee's representatives. He'd be a fine way to assist with load management of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic's minutes. If the money's right, McGee would also forgive coach Michael Malone for ignoring him during the playoffs until the Nuggets were on the verge of getting swept by Phoenix.

"It was a cool experience," McGee said of rejoining the Nuggets, which also employed him early in his pro career. "Obviously, I wish I could've played more. I feel like I really could've helped the team go further in the playoffs. But I'm not the coach, so I can't go out and force myself to play. I respect everybody's decision and everything they do.

"I know what type of player I am and what I bring to a team. I try to make sure I'm always bringing that good energy and veteran leadership. My work ethic's amazing. There's nothing I can do about (not playing). All I can do is go out there and do my job."