Team Canada is eager to take on the challenge of this year’s FIBA World Cup with a strong lineup despite losing the Olympic qualification match for the Tokyo Games.
Jordi Fernandez, the nation’s new head coach, will be in charge of one of the best teams to ever compete for it.
A solid backcourt led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray is rounded out by R.J. Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Lu Dort, and Kelly Olynyk, making for a very deep and competitive side.
Gilgeous-Alexander stated this week at the team’s training camp, “We’re definitely talented enough. It all comes down to us working together, playing as a unit, and developing friendships both on and off the court. We’ll be alright.
The men’s national team of Canada hasn’t been in the Olympics since 2000, and regrettably, they were without several key players when they lost to the Czech Republic in an elimination qualifier a few summers ago.
However, this year’s team is strong and features one of the most thrilling backcourts in the whole tournament, and big man Olynyk is determined to prevent a recurrence of the past.
“Especially watching from a distance, knowing that you can’t be there and probably help change the narrative in some way,” Olynyk added. everything’s difficult to watch everything come to that unfortunate conclusion, and you definitely don’t want it to happen again.
Canada must finish in the top two Americans in the FIBA competition in order to be eligible for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
They must place in the top two in their difficult Group stage, which features France, Latvia, and Lebanon, to proceed to the second round.
Spain is the current reigning champion after defeating Argentina in the 2019 tournament’s championship match.
On August 25, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will get underway in Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines.