The eight Canadian NBA players headed to Victoria for the Tokyo Olympics basketball qualifying tournament June 29 to July 4 play on their clubs for big bucks. They represent sa国际传媒 basically for free and for more personal reasons.
It will be no small thing for Nickeil Alexander-Walker when the 17th overall selection in the 2019 NBA draft dons the Maple Leaf jersey at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre this month.
鈥淭he opportunity to play for my country is not to be taken lightly and I want to make the most of this,鈥� the six-foot-six guard of the New Orleans Pelicans said during a Zoom conference call Monday with the Canadian media.
鈥淲hen I was younger and I had these chances, I was thankful to represent my country,鈥� added the native of Toronto, who won silver with sa国际传媒 in the 2016 U-18 FIBA Americas championship in Chile, leading the tournament with 17.4 points per game.
There are 19 players in the Canadian training camp taking place in Tampa, Florida.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun with a lot of great personalities. We鈥檙e finding the chemistry and common ground,鈥� said Alexander-Walker, who starred at Virginia Tech in the NCAA.
Alexander-Walker represents the kind of depth sa国际传媒 now has in hoops 鈥� and will need 鈥� as its 17 NBA players have been reduced to eight for the Olympic qualifier due to several reasons. But that鈥檚 still more than any of the other five teams in the qualifier.
Alexander-Walker joins fellow Canadian NBA players Andrew Wiggins (Golden State), R.J. Barrett (New York), Trey Lyles (San Antonio), Lugentz Dort (Oklahoma City), Cory Joseph (Detroit), Dwight Powell (Dallas) and Mychal Mulder (Golden State) headed to Blanshard Street.
Missing to injuries are Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray, out with an ACL tear and the biggest loss, Chris Boucher and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops and Khem Birch are about to become NBA free agents and as such don鈥檛 have insurance and simply can鈥檛 risk their livelihoods playing for sa国际传媒 while they are between NBA teams.
Dillon Brooks and Oshae Brissett are not attending camp.
鈥淥ur No. 1 focus right now is on who do we have and what do we need to do to win 鈥� and bring this group together in all the roles,鈥� said sa国际传媒 GM Rowan Barrett.
Time is too short to be worrying about who is not in camp.
鈥淲e have to forge our own identity and be who we are and be comfortable in our own identity,鈥� said sa国际传媒 head coach Nick Nurse, via Zoom.
The Toronto Raptors NBA bench boss listed three keys to success for sa国际传媒: 鈥淣umber one is defence. Number two is sharing the ball on offence. Number three is connected to heart and passion.鈥�
sa国际传媒 is attempting to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of Victoria led the national side to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Current Brooklyn Nets head coach Nash, meanwhile, did sa国际传媒 a huge favour by losing over the weekend. The Game 7 overtime playoff loss by the Nets to the Milwaukee Bucks means that Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, also a two-time NBA MVP, will not be available to his country for the Victoria qualifier, which includes sa国际传媒, Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The tournament champion will advance to the Tokyo Olympics, beginning July 23.
sa国际传媒, which breaks camp in Florida this week and arrives in Victoria on Friday, will be the only team that will come into the qualifier without having the chance to play exhibition games. Greece has played three times in preparation of arriving on the Island this week.
鈥淎ll the teams in our group are playing, and we鈥檝e watched the majority of those games already,鈥� said Nurse.
