
As the curtain rises on the 2023-24 NBA season, Canadian basketball talent has taken another leap forward, surpassing previous records. Canada, now officially the foreign nation most highly represented within the NBA, celebrates its tenth consecutive year in this esteemed position, marking this season with the crowning achievement of having 27 Canadian stalwarts feature on various NBA rosters.
The tally of 27 marks a growth from last season, with an additional four athletes making their mark on the American Hardwood. The heightened Canadian presence is not only boosting the interest levels within the country but also making a tremendous impact on the league’s fan base, as noted by the Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum who observed a 13 per cent rise in viewership from Canada in the past year.
Basketball personalities that continue to make Canada proud lie in the prowess of all-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, and all-star forward Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors. Notably, Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the several athletes who ignited interest in the Canadian basketball landscape during the summer, contributing significantly to the FIBA World Cup.
In a monumental feat, Canada grabbed the bronze medal in the same tournament in September, defeating the U.S. for the first time. The credit for this victory goes in large part to the country’s seven NBA players who featured in the squad, driving Canada’s international rank up from 15th to 6th.
Names engraved in the annals of history include Hamilton’s own Gilgeous-Alexander who was hailed as a tournament all-star thanks to his impressive stats, and Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets who smashed a Canadian single-game scoring record with 39 points in the bronze medal match.
The memory of the spectacular U.S.-Canada match, marked by the presence of ten NBA players at one point, still brings a smile on Tatum’s face who lauded Team Canada’s performance. Acknowledging the country’s burgeoning talent pool, the likes of SGA, RJ Barrett, Dwight Powell, Lu Dort were commended for their exemplary representation of Canadian prowess in the sport.
Recently, the NBA Draft in June saw Olivier-Maxence Prosper drafted by Sacramento in the first round, swiftly followed by Leonard Miller chosen by San Antonio Spurs in the second round. Additionally, a special mention was given to the budding stars Bennedict Mathurin of Indiana Pacers and Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers, both picked in the first round of the 2022 Draft.
Completing the panorama of Canadian talent within the NBA is Chris Boucher from Montreal who takes his place in the Toronto Raptors’ roster, further augmenting Canada’s growing imprint within the world of basketball.