Canada’s Men’s Basketball Team: Canada Basketball and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada men’s basketball athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Toronto, Ont.)
- RJ Barrett (Mississauga, Ont.)
- Khem Birch (Montreal, Que.)
- Dillon Brooks (Mississauga, Ont.)
- Luguentz Dort (Montreal, Que.)
- Melvin Ejim (Toronto, Ont.)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Hamilton, Ont.)
- Trey Lyles (Saskatoon, Sask.)
- Jamal Murray (Kitchener, Ont.)
- Andrew Nembhard (Aurora, Ont.)
- Kelly Olynyk (Kamloops, B.C.)
- Dwight Powell (Toronto, Ont.)
Table of Contents
Historic Qualification and Bronze Medal Win
Canada Basketball’s Senior Men’s National Team successfully qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as one of the top two teams from the Americas region at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023. The team secured the berth with an 88-85 victory over Spain in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals.
They went on to capture a historic bronze medal – the first medal at a men’s basketball World Cup in Canadian history – with a 127-118 win over the United States. In the bronze medal game, Dillon Brooks’ 39 points set a FIBA World Cup record for most points scored in a medal-winning game and a Senior Men’s National Team scoring record for most points in a single game.
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Key Players and Their NBA Ties
The roster features 11 players with NBA experience, including team captain Kelly Olynyk, who currently plays for the Toronto Raptors and has played 756 games across 11 seasons in the league. Olynyk has been a member of Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team since 2010.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A two-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was named to the All-Star Five after averaging 24.5 points per game at last summer’s FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup.
- RJ Barrett: Guard for the Toronto Raptors, and son of Rowan Barrett, who was captain of Canada’s men’s team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
- Jamal Murray: Denver Nuggets guard and 2023 NBA Champion. At 19, Murray played on home soil at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, where he tallied 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as Team Canada defeated Team USA to advance to the gold medal final.
Coaching and Support Staff
Canada’s Men’s Basketball Team head coach, Jordi Fernández, returns after leading the team last summer to their highest finish in 88 years in an international FIBA competition. Fernández was the lead assistant for the Nigerian men’s national team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Here’s the complete list of coaches and support staff:
| Role | Name | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Jordi Fernández | Badalona, Spain |
| Assistant Coach | Nate Bjorkgren | Gilbert, Arizona |
| Assistant Coach | Nathaniel Mitchell | Toronto, Ont. |
| Assistant Coach | Boniface N’Dong | Mbour, Senegal |
| Director, Basketball Operations | Sebastian Arnold | Burlington, Ont. |
| Team Leader/General Manager/VP | Rowan Barrett | Scarborough, Ont. |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Garrett Blakey | Whitby, Ont. |
| Coaching Consultant | David Blatt | Daniel Island, S.C. |
| Senior Team Services Lead | Abby Bruyer | Edmonton, Alta. |
| Nutritionist | Marc Bubbs | Burlington, Ont. |
| Team Manager | James DePoe | Toronto, Ont. |
| Athletic Therapist | Jacob Gallant | Toronto, Ont. |
| Director, Health Services & Performance | Sam Gibbs | Toronto, Ont. |
| Advance Scout | Jon Goodwillie | Etobicoke, Ont. |
| Video Coordinator | Connor Griffin | Lake Oswego, Ore. |
| Media Attaché/Senior Manager, Digital Content | Muad Issa | Mississauga, Ont. |
| Mental Performance Lead | Dr. Peter Jensen | Noranda, Que. |
| Director, High Performance Analytics & Strategy | Phil Jevtovic | Toronto, Ont. |
| Head Athletic Therapist | Jason Meehan | Mount Pearl, Nfld. |
| Assistant General Manager, Men’s Basketball Operations | Michael Meeks | Hamilton, Ont. |
| Coordinator, Men’s Basketball Operations | Kayla Minott | Ottawa, Ont. |
| Team Physician | Dr. John Philpott | Miramichi, N.B. |
| Media Attaché | Josh Su | Toronto, Ont. |
| Security Lead | Kevin Tucker | Chandler, Ariz. |
| Athletic Therapist | Krisjon Vargas | Mississauga, Ont. |
| Media Attaché/Director, Communications & Content | Matt Walker | Ancaster, Ont. |
Game Schedule and Group Phase Details
Basketball will take place from July 27 to August 11. Canada was drawn into Group A and will face Greece, Australia, and Spain in the group phase.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 27 (Day 1) | Greece | 3:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| July 30 (Day 4) | Australia | 7:30 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| August 2 (Day 7) | Spain | 11:15 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. |
All group phase games will be played at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille. The men’s quarterfinals begin on August 6, and the tournament will move to the Bercy Arena in Paris for the elimination stage.
Canada’s Men’s Basketball Team: Looking Ahead
“The incredible opportunity ahead of us to do something truly historic for Canada this summer is not lost on anyone,” said Fernández. With 17 days to go until their first game, the team is focused on improving and building on their previous successes.
Canada’s lone Olympic medal in basketball came at the Berlin 1936 Games. With a new generation of talent and a cohesive team strategy, Canada aims to make history again in Paris.
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Canada’s Men’s Basketball Team: Conclusion
“I am thrilled to cheer on Team Canada’s men’s basketball team as they make their return to the Olympic Games and who are sure to be a team to watch in Paris,” said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. The anticipation and excitement are palpable as the team prepares to ignite the court and aim for Olympic glory.
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