After beating the United States in the Bronze medal game 127-118 in overtime, the Canadian Men’s National Basketball team has won its first FIBA medal ever. Despite a disappointing loss in the semifinal to Serbia, Canada was able to bounce back and secure the final position on the podium.
Shai Was the Best Player in the Tournament
Canada was led throughout the tournament by Okahoma City Thunder All-Star and 2022-23 All-NBA 1st Team –ahead of Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard and Da’Aaron Fox–, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA dominated the tournament from start to finish and statistically outperformed arguably anyone who competed. He certainly outperformed the tournament MVP, now gold-medal Germany point guard and new Toronto Raptor, Dennis Schröder.
Shai led the tournament in player efficiency rating (PER) with a 30.4 rating. Some of the tournament standouts were as follows:
| Name | Country | PTS | AST | REB | STL | BLK | TOV | FG% | 3P% | FT% | PER | GP | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Schröder (MVP) | Germany (Gold) | 19.1 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 43.5 | 32.7 | 84.4 | 17.6 | 8 | 28.6 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Canada (Bronze) | 24.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 54.4 | 30.0 | 88.7 | 30.4 | 8 | 32.1 |
| Luka Doncic | Slovenia | 27.0 | 6.1 | 7.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 4.3 | 42.7 | 32.4 | 77.2 | 26.0 | 8 | 32.1 |
| Bogdan Bogdanovic | Serbia (Silver) | 19.1 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 52.6 | 42.3 | 85.3 | 21.6 | 8 | 27.8 |
| Jordan Clarkson | Philippines | 26.0 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 4.2 | 41.1 | 29.3 | 83.3 | 19.2 | 5 | 35.9 |
| Rondae Hollis Jefferson | Jordan | 23.6 | 4.4 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 46.8 | 21.4 | 72.9 | 22.6 | 5 | 38.6 |
| Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 24.8 | 1.2 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 50.6 | 25.0 | 89.5 | 24.0 | 5 | 26.7 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Dominican Republic | 24.4 | 1.6 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 45.5 | 39.4 | 92.9 | 23.0 | 5 | 29.6 |
| Joshua Hawkinson | Japan | 21.0 | 2.0 | 10.8 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 58.8 | 29.4 | 88.9 | 28.6 | 5 | 34.9 |
| Nikola Vucevic | Montenegro | 19.8 | 1.2 | 8.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 52.7 | 40.0 | 94.4 | 24.0 | 5 | 26.7 |
| Carlik Jones | South Sudan | 20.4 | 10.4 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 48.1 | 41.7 | 78.3 | 26.0 | 5 | 30.3 |
While from a statistical standpoint it’s clear SGA and Luka both had MVP caliber tournament numbers, and were the two standalone best players in the tournament. Yet what Schröder was able to do to bring that Germany team, helping them passed the United States and then Serbia was nothing short of astounding and worthy of further recognition.
Toronto Talent Carries Canada to Bronze
The Canadian trio of Shai, Dillon Brooks and RJ Barrett were likely the 2nd best trio in the tournament behind only the USA’s Mikal Bridges, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. With Shai being Toronto-born and Hamilton-raised, Brooks being Mississauga-born and a Toronto high school (Father Henry Carr prospect, and then Barrett being Toronto-born and Mississauga-raised, the trio represents the GTA unfathomably.
This tournament and these guys demonstrated the fruits of the Carter effect on the world stage. The astounding part is that Canada’s top-6 performers by PER in the tournament were all born in the Greater Toronto Area, and 10 of 12 possible roster spots were taken up by GTA-born talent.
| Name | Birthplace | PTS | AST | REB | STL | BLK | TOV | FG% | 3P% | FT% | PER | GP | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Toronto, ON | 24.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 54.5 | 30.0 | 88.7 | 30.4 | 8 | 32.1 |
| Dillon Brooks | Mississauga, ON | 15.1 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 59.4 | 58.8 | 79.2 | 16.5 | 8 | 27.0 |
| RJ Barrett | Toronto, ON | 16.8 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 45.4 | 37.3 | 63.0 | 13.9 | 8 | 30.6 |
| Kelly Olynyk | Toronto, ON | 10.9 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 41.9 | 35.7 | 92.6 | 12.4 | 8 | 22.2 |
| Dwight Powell | Toronto, ON | 5.1 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 64.3 | 0.0 | 71.4 | 9.9 | 8 | 24.0 |
| Luguentz Dort | Montreal, QC | 8.2 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 37.0 | 34.5 | 55.6 | 8.5 | 6 | 24.7 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Toronto, ON | 9.4 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 39.7 | 38.5 | 45.5 | 9.4 | 8 | 21.8 |
| Melvin Ejim | Toronto, ON | 2.4 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 2.4 | 8 | 10.0 |
| Zach Edey | Toronto, ON | 3.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 100.0 | — | 33.3 | 3.8 | 5 | 4.6 |
| Kyle Alexander | Scarborough, ON | 3.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 71.4 | 50.0 | 80.0 | 3.3 | 6 | 6.1 |
| Phil Scrubb | Richmond, BC | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 62.5 | 50.0 | 33.3 | 2.3 | 6 | 7.1 |
| Trae Bell-Haynes | Toronto, ON | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 50.0 | 50.0 | — | 3.0 | 5 | 6.6 |
In case the table isn’t clear enough, Torontonians were responsible for 847 of 919 of Canada’s total efficiency rating. A cool 92.2% of the teams total production on both ends of the floor.
This is not Canada basketball’s first time on the podium thanks to the women’s team who won Bronze in both 1979 in South Korea, and in 1986 in the Soviet Union.
The last time the Canadian Men’s team medalled in a notable international tournament was around 30 years before Canada had it’s red and white Maple Leaf flag, the 1936 Berlin Olympics where they fell to the USA in the finals, securing an Olympic Silver medal.
(Picture via Canada Basketball)