Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rest of Canada's NBAers left wanting more in 2024

Canada's champion men's hoops players were near wanting much successful 2024.

Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished 2nd successful NBA MVP voting for the 2023-24 season, the champion show among a record-high 27 Canadians successful the league. His Oklahoma City Thunder had a disappointing second-round exit successful the NBA's Western Conference playoffs, and Canada's men's elder squad finished 5th astatine the Paris Olympics.

Gilgeous-Alexander said that it was lone erstwhile Canada fell to France 82-73 successful the Olympic quarterfinals connected Aug. 6 that helium realized precisely what he'd lost.

"The accidental to medal and win, we didn't get a accidental to bash it and being successful it, you benignant of instrumentality it for granted," said Gilgeous-Alexander aft the Thunder visited the Toronto Raptors connected Dec. 5. "Every twelvemonth I get a accidental to triumph an NBA championship, and each 4 years I get a accidental to effort to triumph the Olympics."

Canada qualified for its archetypal Olympic men's hoops tourney successful 24 years astatine the 2023 FIBA World Cup, earning a best-ever bronze medal astatine that lawsuit with a 127-118 triumph implicit the United States connected Sept. 10, 2023.

The Canadians were a cleanable 3-0 successful the radical signifier astatine the Olympics this past summer, advancing retired of Group A arsenic the 3rd effect successful the knockout stage. Then Canada ran afoul of France successful the quarters for the disappointing fifth-place finish.

WATCH l Canada falls to France successful quarterfinals:

"I deliberation evidently the World Cup was awesome. The Olympics could person went better, I think," said centre Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., who besides plays for the Raptors, connected Wednesday. "Obviously, it's not however immoderate of america wanted to decorativeness but erstwhile you look astatine it retrospectively, it's our champion decorativeness successful nevertheless galore years oregon whatever. First clip we made it successful nevertheless galore years.

"A small spot of a tiny victory, I guess."

Canada has finished 4th astatine the Olympics twice: the 1976 Montreal Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

"I deliberation a batch of america connected that squad deliberation we could person done amended than bronze astatine the World Cup, and we could person done amended than 5th astatine the Olympics," helium said.

Gilgeous-Alexander said that he's going to enactment adjacent harder if helium gets different accidental to triumph an Olympic medal.

"In 4 years, you ne'er cognize what volition happen, wherever I was 4 years ago, and wherever I'll beryllium 4 years from now, but it's a peculiar opportunity," said Gilgeous-Alexander. "If, God willing, I'm astir for that opportunity, I'll decidedly attack it a small spot different."

The quadrennial for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has already begun and Canada is playing good connected the planetary stage.

The Canadian men — without immoderate NBA players — were a cleanable 4-0 successful Group C of 2025 FIBA AmeriCup qualification circular with wins implicit the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Nicaragua this past year. Group signifier play volition proceed connected Feb. 21 erstwhile Canada faces the Dominican Republic a 2nd time.

WATCH l Canada defeats Mexico to remain perfect in FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers:

As host, Nicaragua has already qualified for the quadrennial North American tournament. Argentina won its 3rd rubric successful 2022, and Canada finished 4th successful a tourney delayed due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's continued to spell up, and it's not going to beryllium a linear progression to the top. There's going to beryllium immoderate hiccups and bumps on the way," said Olynyk. "But we've got a large radical of young guys, talented, and immoderate adjacent younger talented guys coming up successful the mix.

"I deliberation the aboriginal is inactive very, precise bright, and it's astir sticking together, playing together, gathering that cohesion, that chemistry, that continuity, and conscionable support growing."

Gilgeous-Alexander besides led the mode successful the NBA successful the 2023-24 run and continues to bash truthful this season.

He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 0.9 blocks per crippled past season, finishing down Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic successful MVP voting successful what was the champion NBA play for a Canadian since Steve Nash's back-to-back MVP awards successful 2004-05 and 2005-06.

The Thunder were the apical effect successful the NBA's Western Conference with a 57-25 grounds but were upset by the Dallas Mavericks successful the 2nd round.

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to predominate this season, with 30.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1 artifact per crippled truthful far.

"It's been nary different," said Gilgeous-Alexander connected Oklahoma City's 2024-25 season. "Doesn't consciousness antithetic astatine all, aforesaid radical of guys with a fewer additions that person blended successful precise well.

"We conscionable instrumentality it a time astatine a time. Try to get amended with each game, each opportunity, and past hopefully by the extremity of the year, we're wherever we privation to be."

The Thunder came up abbreviated again successful the NBA Cup final, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 97-81 connected Tuesday.

WATCH l Thunder autumn to Bucks successful NBA Cup rubric game:

Although determination were 5 less Canadians successful the NBA this play versus last, the aboriginal looks agleam with Toronto's Zach Edey making his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies connected Oct. 23.

The seven-foot-four centre was drafted eighth wide retired of Purdue University this past summertime aft winning the Naismith Award arsenic U.S. assemblage basketball's subordinate of the twelvemonth for a 2nd time.

Edey is lone the 3rd antheral subordinate to triumph back-to-back Naismith awards, joining Hall of Famers Ralph Sampson and Bill Walton.