But the 23-year-old basketball star has no intention of slowing down, especially after he was named in Andrej Lemanis' 12-man Australian Boomers squad for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in China.

Cooks was always destined for greatness in hoops, following in the footsteps of his father Eric, a former Illawarra Hawks star in the NBL and current assistant coach of the side, and older brother Dominique, who played college basketball at the University of Hawaii.

"I can't really remember a time I wasn't playing basketball," Xavier Cooks said.

"With both dad and Dom playing all the time, I was pretty much brought up in a basketball household.

"The best thing is I still have the same love for the game when I first started - I just love competing.

"It's still crazy to me I'm getting paid to play the sport I love."

As helpful as it was to have these two, along with his mother Josie and sister Georgia, as mentors, Cooks admits there were always sceptics.

"I didn't feel any pressure growing up but there was always those people who said I only made certain sides because of my dad," he said.

Cooks' first representative selection came in 2007, when he was selected in the Illawarra Hawks under 14s team, as a 12-year-old.

"Making that under 14s team as a bottom-ager was definitely the start of my ascendancy - ever since then, it's been onwards and upwards," he said.

Cooks then spent six years with the Illawarra Basketball Association's junior development program, with numerous excellent coaches such as Jono Hargreaves.

"The environment of being able to play with your friends at Illawarra was fantastic," he said.

"Especially when you incorporate NSW Basketball, known for their toughest and competitiveness, as a whole - it really laid the platform for me for future years."

Following his junior career, which also included two national tournaments with NSW Country and an Australian schools title with Holy Spirit College, Cooks grew five inches in less than nine months.

This opened doors to train with NSWIS and Illawarra Hawks NBL side, before moving to Canberra to join the Australian Institute of Sports' Centre of Excellence.

"I was lucky enough Andrej Lemanis came down and watched me during one of the Hawks practices, after my NSWIS coach Damian Cotter put in a good work," he said.

"He liked my game so much, he invited to move down and join him at the Centre of Excellence."

Cooks then spent nine months in Canberra, training with the top hoops prospects in the country.

"Even when I got down to Canberra, I wasn't expected to be that much," he said.

"The first couple of weeks playing SEABL (South East Australian Basketball League) I struggled, especially with the physicality of playing against professional men every game - it was tough.

"But on the back of hard work, which included two sessions a day, I gradually adjusted and started to show I could compete at this level."

It was during this time when Cooks' college dream became a reality.

"College was always a dream," he said.

"Basketball has come a long way in Australia but the idea of playing on a national stage, against some of the best 18-22 year olds in the world, was something I couldn't pass up."

With numerous colleges battling to acquire Cooks' services, his choice - Winthrop - became an easy one because of their coach, Pat Kelsey.

"A lot of these colleges coaches tell you what you want to hear and promise the world but Coach Kelsey reached out to me and was so genuine," Cooks said.

"Coach Kelsey actually flew out to Australia and came to visit my family in Wollongong - so I stayed loyal to him because he was loyal to me."

During his four years with the Winthrop Eagles, the 203cm forward averaged 17.2 points, while shooting at an accurate 50.4 per cent from the fiend, with 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists, as well as 2.1 blocks.

He even became the school's top rebounder in their history with 983.

"College was a great four years of my life," he said.

"The standout moment for me was winning the national championship on our home court in my junior year - all our fans rushed onto the floor when we won, it was unbelievable.

"This win put us into the NCAA tournament, where we played nationally televised games in front of 20,000 people."

It was during these four years, Cooks acknowledges how much the Eagles helped him; including adding muscle to his frame (starting a 177lbs and leaving at 200lbs), while also giving him the confidence to play up to his potential.

"My biggest problem as Winthrop was being too unselfish, as I always wanted to get my team mates involved," he said.

"From day one of arriving there, coach Kelsey encouraged me to take on a leadership role, which I found weird as an 18-year-old trying to tell guys much older than me what to do.

"Coach Kelsey always fed me confidence, telling me I could be one of the best players in this league if I just worked hard - he wanted be to be involved even at times when I didn't believe in myself."

In his senior year, Cooks even played alongside Sanctuary Point product Kyle Zunic.

"It was unbelievable playing with [Kyle] Zunic in my senior year - that was my most enjoyable season," he said.

"At that stage, I'd been out of the Australian culture for so long - as I played for Australia at a number of University Games meaning I could only come home briefly each year.

"Zunic is a picture perfect example of how Aussies play; hardworking and prepared to do the dirty stuff people don't want to do - that's why he's such a good player and will go far in his career."

His college career then transitioned into the NBA pre-Draft workouts.

During his six workouts, where he met Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, Cooks impressed enough to be picked for the Golden State Warriors Summer League team.

"I actually had a flight to come home in two days but my agent [Daniel Moldovan] called me and told me I'm playing Summer League with the Warriors and to cancel my plans," he said.

"That was probably the happiest I've been to not come back to Australia.

"When you get there, you're sitting in Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson's locker and it's hard to get your head around but you quickly snap out of it and focus on the task at hand."

On the back of his strong showing at Las Vegas with the Warriors, Cooks penned a deal with German club Oliver Wurzburg - the team Dirk Nowitzki started his career at.

"I've always been excited by the whole European idea - I'm young and wanted to see as much of the world as I can which basketball has allowed me to do," he said.

"On top of that, Wurzburg was a great fit for me, being able to play in the German league but also the FIBA European Cup.

"The European style of only having the ball in your hands for a short amount of time, compared to in the United States where everyone is trying to get theirs, suited my game."

During his rookie season in Germany, Cooks averaged 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, one steal and 0.9 blocks per game, helping his team reach the finals of the FIBA European Cup, which they lost in two games to Dinamo Sassari (89-84 and 81-79) - where Cooks played in the wildest atmosphere of his career.

"Personally, I had my ups and downs but once I started to learn my role, my confidence grew and I put together some strong performances," he said.

"I never played on a more cohesive team in my career.

"It was amazing to play in front of some of those fans bases - it's one of the reasons I love the game.

"One that stands out is beating Vares [Pallacanestro Varese] on their home court and then dancing with our fans - who'd drove 12 hours to be there - after the win."

Cooks made such an impression in Europe that French side Strasbourg came calling, see him sign with them for the 2019/20 season.

"At the end of the day, basketball is my job and I had to make a business decision on what was best for my career moving forward," he said.

"Strasbourg play in the European Champions League (a level above the European Cup) and have a very rich basketball culture and are known for winning.

"The French league, which plays with a lot of pace, should also suit be and help me play to my strengths - I can't wait."

Following this signing, Cooks returned to the US for his second stint in the NBA Summer League, this time with the Phoenix Suns.

"This time around, the mini-camp was very intense, with different people being cut from the original 22-man squad everyday," he said.

"Everyone was competing at the highest level, which is exactly how I like it to be.

"I can remember my first year with Golden State, I was nervous about the idea of playing with the NBA logo on your jersey.

"My confidence was a lot higher the second time around, even though I didn't get to play as many minutes as I would have liked - it was still a great experience none-the-less."

Cooks is currently back on the South Coast for the first time in nearly two years, which has seen him cherish his mum's home cooking, catching up with his mates and heading down to his old stomping ground, the Snakepit and getting shots up with his dad.

"There's no place like home," he said.

While he is back in Australia, Cooks recently headed down to Melbourne for the Boomers World Cup camp and trials.

"When my agent first told me I had been invited into the squad, I was thrilled, as it appeared to be one of the stronger Boomers teams I'd seen in recent years," he said.

"Thankfully my times with previous Aussie team and at the Centre of Excellence prepared me for the style of play the coaches wanted to play, which eased my transition - you quickly learn what's Australia's identities are on both ends of the floor."

While in Melbourne, Cooks went toe-to-toe with NBA players Ben Simmons, Patty Mills and Matthew Della Vedova.

"I can remember getting there the first day and thinking to myself, 'wow, that's really Patty Mills' - someone who I'd idolised and watched on television for years," he said.

"But once you step on the court, it all changes and they go from your idols to your rivals very quickly - you're out there competing with them for a spot on the roster."

Cooks obviously made a lasting impression on the Boomers coaches, as he was named in the 12-person squad for the August 31 to September 15 World Cup.

"It's hard to put into words how excited I was when Andrej [Lemanis] told me," he said.

"Once he told me, it's hard not to think of the road you've had to get here and all the sacrifices you've made along the way - it's all worth it.

"As cool as it would to be in the NBA one day, my main goal in life was to play for the Boomers - so to have the chance to play for my country at the World Cup, it doesn't get much better than that."

But making the roster, who will head to Perth next week, isn't enough for Cooks, who's team are locked in on creating history and securing their first international medal.

"Last World Cup, we pulled up short and missed out on a medal but with the talent we have at our disposal this time around, there's no reason why we can't achieve something special," he said.

"As much talent as those other teams have, they don't have the cohesion and drive that our squad has - I have very high expectations for this team."

Following the World Cup, Cooks hopes to win silverware in his first season in France, which he hopes can lead to one day playing in the NBA.

"Growing up and watching the NBA seemed so far away and the idea of playing there just seemed so foreign to me," he said.

"But once you get closer to it, it becomes a real thing and now I have numerous friends who are in the league.

"The idea itself seems closer but I'm just going to keep working hard and hopefully that opportunity comes my way one day.

"I've set high goals for myself and nothing is going to stand in my way from achieving them."