Canada Announces 12 Man Roster for Paris Olympics

The Canadian senior men’s national basketball team has officially announced it’s most talented team ever.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray will headline the 12-man roster heading to Paris later this month for the Olympics. It’s a group featuring 10 current NBA players and 11 players with NBA experience. Only Melvin Ejim, the veteran of Canadian basketball from Toronto, has earned a spot without previous NBA experience.

Canada’s backcourt will be loaded with Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray joined by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luguentz Dort, and Andrew Nembhard. In the wings, Canada’s roster has RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Ejim who all return from last summer’s FIBA World Cup squad.

If there’s one weakness for Canada, it’s the frontcourt where team captain Kelly Olynyk is joined by Dwight Powell, Khem Birch, and Trey Lyles who hope to lock down Canada’s center rotation.

“Leading our Senior Men’s National Team into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is an incredible honour,” Olynyk said in a press release. “Since I began playing basketball, my dream has always been to represent Canada at the Olympics. Last year’s third-place finish at the FIBA World Cup was an important step, proving that we belong among the world’s best teams. However, it also showed us that we still have work to do as we pursue our ultimate goal of winning gold in Paris.”

Birch and Ejim clinched the final roster spots, beating out Mfiondu Kabengele, Phil Scrubb, and Thomas Scrubb who will not be joining Canada in Paris this summer.

“Representing your country at an Olympic Games is one of the greatest honours in sport and something each of these players will never forget the first time they step onto the court,” said team general manager Rowan Barrett. “As we build on our success last summer, maintaining the continuity and cohesion we established with that team was vital to assembling this Olympic roster.  While everyone on this team has an individual role to play, our collective strengths and connectivity will drive our success this summer.”

Canada will take on the United States in an international friendly on Wednesday night at 10:30 p.m. ET before heading to the Olympics where group stage games will begin on July 27 against Greece.