Over the last few years, Canadian basketball has been on the rise with a significant number of younger players from up north finding their way into the NBA.
You can really see things paying off, not just in terms of a few star players such as Jamal Murray or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but also in the depth of Canadian talent in basketball right now.
When the NBA announced this year’s Rising Stars teams honouring the best first- and second-year players in the league, half of the 10-man World Team roster comprised of Canadian players:
- R.J. Barrett, New York Knicks
- Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, New Orleans Pelicans
- Mychal Mulder, Golden State Warriors
Of course, the World Team doesn’t have the same depth as the U.S. Team, but it really is significant to see just how much hoops talent is coming out of Canada these days.
Barrett, Alexander-Walker and Clarke were all first-round picks in the 2019 draft, while Dort was an undrafted rookie that has played his way into the Oklahoma City Thunder starting lineup alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.
Unfortunately, we won’t get to see these Canadians play together as this year’s Rising Stars honours are purely ceremonial. Because of the pandemic, the traditional game during All-Star Weekend won’t be played.
It’s too bad that we won’t get to see an all-Canadian lineup at the Rising Stars game this year — how cool would that be? — but we should see plenty of these guys for years to come.
