It is tempting to say the 鈥淕olden Generation鈥� of Canadian basketball will take to the court today at 5 p.m. against China at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. But the term is probably the most overused in world sporting media when describing a rising tide of talent within a nation in a particular sport.
Those in basketball in sa国际传媒 would be justified in using it, but they don鈥檛. That鈥檚 because, despite the breakthrough gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup last year, and silver medals in the 2015 Pan Am and 2018 Commonwealth Games, there was that glaring stumble in failing to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Not that anyone is denying the rise of Canadian hoops, which features more players in the NBA than any country outside the United States.
鈥淏asketball is growing in our country,鈥� said national team coach Jay Triano. 鈥淭he pioneers paved the way for everybody.鈥�
Former Simon Fraser University guard Triano can count himself among that group, along with former University of Victoria stars Eli Pasquale and Gerald Kazanowski, who led sa国际传媒 to top-six finishes in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, which in turn inspired two-time NBA MVP and 2000 Sydney Olympic captain Steve Nash of Victoria.
But none of that may match what this current generation could be capable of accomplishing.
鈥淭here are more Canadians playing in the NBA than there has ever been,鈥� Triano said last week at the Richmond Olympic Oval as sa国际传媒 prepared for the Pacific Rim set against China. It opened with a 97-62 Canadian victory before 7,636 fans at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Friday. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great sign of the sport鈥檚 growth in our country,鈥� said Triano, interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns last NBA season and recently signed to be lead assistant coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
The Pacific Rim games in Victoria and Vancouver are to ready sa国际传媒 for Americas regional qualifying play this summer for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, out of which seven teams will qualify directly to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. China receives an automatic berth into the 2019 World Cup as host. sa国际传媒, 3-1 so far in Americas regional World Cup qualifying, plays Dominican Republic in Toronto on Friday and the U.S. Virgin Islands in Ottawa on July 2.
鈥淭his is a great group of guys with a great deal of talent,鈥� said seven-foot centre Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, who has just completed a decent first season of his four-year, $50-million US NBA contract with the Miami Heat.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to be back in sa国际传媒 and playing for the country that gave you all the opportunities to do what you do in life and which raised you. It鈥檚 a way to give back for that, and to the nation, and to the people who supported you and helped you be where you are.鈥�
The next generation of Canadian NBA stars is represented by R.J. Barrett, the prodigy projected as the No. 1 pick for the 2019 NBA draft, who made his Canadian senior national team debut with 16 points against China on Friday. 鈥淭here鈥檚 more speed and physicality. It鈥檚 a lot faster and everyone is stronger,鈥� Barrett said after the game in Vancouver.
These are lessons for the long haul. 鈥淩.J. is going to lead our program for years to come,鈥� Triano said.
The NBA players on the Canadian roster say Barrett, headed to NCAA powerhouse Duke, is indeed special. 鈥淸Barrett] is different from the rest,鈥� said Canadian guard Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies, the former Final Four Oregon Ducks standout, who led sa国际传媒 on Friday with 21 points. 鈥淗e has all the attributes physically. And he鈥檚 a sponge. He鈥檚 full of questions and energy.鈥�
Barrett is the tip of the iceberg among the youth generation. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 11th overall Thursday in the 2018 NBA draft, the eighth Canadian lottery pick since 2011.
鈥淸Canadian basketball] is just going to keep growing,鈥� Olynyk said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on an upward trend and I don鈥檛 think it's going to stop anytime soon. You see the kids coming up. It鈥檚 going to be harder to make [national] teams in the future.鈥�
Triano agreed: 鈥淭hese kids drive to be great. They are a lot bigger and more athletic at a younger age. They know how to attack the rim. They want to be on the stage at a young age.鈥�
Asked if he watched the 2018 NBA draft, Barrett replied: 鈥淵eah, it was cool. But I can鈥檛 look too far forward. I want to focus on getting to Duke and winning a [U.S. collegiate NCAA] national championship.鈥�
Of a potential Olympic medal with sa国际传媒, Barrett said: 鈥淭hat would be great, amazing.鈥�
The overall 2019 World Cup qualifiers roster for sa国际传媒 鈥� this summer is the first of four qualifying windows 鈥� includes eight of the nation鈥檚 12 NBA players. Six are available for this window 鈥� Olynyk, Brooks, Khem Birch of the Orlando Magic, former Oregon Duck and NBA-champion Chris Boucher (who responded to being released on Friday by Golden State with 17 points and 11 rebounds for sa国际传媒 against China), Cory Joseph of the Indiana Pacers and Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks. Birch and Joseph are not available for the Pacific Rim.
Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves has not made himself available since sa国际传媒鈥檚 devastating qualifying loss to Venezuela and failure to advance to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of good players in this country,鈥� Triano said.
鈥淭here are four [World Cup] qualifying windows. Some players are available for some and some guys are unavailable for others. Our depth is why we are strong and a contender. The depth in our country is our advantage.鈥�
