Nick Kay: Boomers star stuck in Japan while fiancee Emily Tann is in Perth

The 206cm power forward, integral to the Boomers winning a long-awaited bronze medal at the Olympics, has had his plan to return to Australia after the Games scuppered.

Because Kay will debut for Japanese B League side the Shimane Susanoo Magic in the upcoming season, the Japanese government will not let him leave the country and then return.

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He had initially planned to fly to Perth after the Games and then return to Japan a few weeks later for preseason training, ahead of the Magic's season opener against the Chiba Jets on October 3.

However, he will continue to be separated from his fiancee Emily Tann, whom he has not seen in person since late April when he was in Spain playing for Real Betis.

It is another instance of COVID getting in the way of their reunion.

"I was meant to go home [to Perth] before the Olympics and now after [the Olympics], but both times have been a bit interrupted," he said.

"So fingers crossed we can get her over here in the next few months ... [I'm] hoping she can come over here [and stay] until the end of the season.

"But we need to obviously get visas and stuff sorted as well."

Tamworth-raised Kay, who turned 29 during Tokyo 2020, met Tann, 25, when he was playing for the Perth Wildcats.

They have been together two and a half years, and engaged for just over a year. Their wedding will be in Perth on July 9 next year.

Tann is an exercise physiologist, but is doing a master's degree in teaching while working at the Mulberry Tree Child Care and Kindy in Perth.

She has attached herself to a professional athlete who continues to elevate his game - his showing at the Olympics a new performance high point.

A no-nonsense but highly reliable and valuable commodity, he averaged 12.3 points, six rebounds and 2.5 assists for the tournament.

After his double-double in the Boomers' 97-59 quarter-final defeat of Argentina, Australian basketball legend Michelle Timms tweeted: "From here on in Australian basketball we will be saying 'you need a Nick Kay on your team' or 'that kids [sic] a Nick Kay'."

There were highly emotional scenes courtside and back in Australia after the Boomers secured bronze with a 107-93 win over Slovenia last Saturday night.

It was a drought-breaking win.

At four Olympics across four decades, Australia had made the semi-finals - only to miss out on a medal.

The post-match celebration in Tokyo was "unreal", Kay said, adding that Australia "just needed to overcome that hurdle" - "and it was something special doing it together".

As for his own contribution to the side, he said: "Each team needs different pieces that all fit together like a puzzle, and I just kind of did those little role pieces to help where I could and get guys open and stuff.

"And because of that, I got rewarded with a lot of good minutes."

Kay is now living in Matsue, the capital city of Shimane Prefecture. In 2015, it had a population of 206,000.

Located by a lake, Matsue is "beautiful", Kay said.

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