12 NBA players named to Canada's early roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Canada will be taking a host of NBA players with them to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Today, Canada Basketball announced the training camp roster for the men’s basketball tournament, a little over a month out from their first game.
The team is likely to be Canada’s best collection of basketball talent ever consolidated on one roster. It is coming fresh off a bronze medal at last year’s FIBA World Cup.
A total of 12 NBA players are in the mix for the final cut of the team, with college standout Zach Edey and former Toronto Raptor Khem Birch also on the early squad.
Here are the 20 players that made the training camp roster:
- Kyle Alexander
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- RJ Barrett
- Trae Bell-Haynes
- Khem Birch
- Oshae Brissett
- Dillon Brooks
- Luguentz Dort
- Zach Edey
- Melvin Ejim
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Mfiondu Kabengele
- Trey Lyles
- Jamal Murray
- Andrew Nembhard
- Kelly Olynyk
- Dwight Powell
- Phil Scrubb
- Thomas Scrubb
- Andrew Wiggins
Canada’s appearance in France will be their first at the men’s tournament since 2000, while Canadian women have played in the last four Olympics.
Back in March, Canadian head coach Jordi Fernandez met with the media while in Toronto and explained the process was an evolving one for the final roster selection, despite the program having previously recognized a group of core players in 2021 for a three-year commitment to the program.
“Doors are open for everybody,” Fernandez said. “A lot of things can happen, right? Like injuries or whatever the case is. My experience with national teams is that it does not always go as planned, for whatever the reason is. So you have to be ready.”
Canada’s first game at the Olympics is set for July 27 against a yet-to-be-qualified team. Their second match against Australia will be on July 30. They’ll close out the group stage on August 2 against another yet-to-be-decided team.
While the United States enters the tournament as four-time reigning gold medallists, Canada will be bringing quite a strong squad of its own.
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