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Christopher Boan is a writer at OntarioBets.com. He's covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Canadian Men’s Olympic Basketball Team 2024: Official Roster For Paris
It has been 78 years since the Canadian men’s basketball team last earned a medal in the Summer Olympics. But a crop of NBA talent from the Great White North could get the country back on the medal stand in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
At last, we know who the 12-man roster will be as the Canadians look to snap that skid because the official Olympic roster for Team Canada has been announced. At OntarioBets.com, the home of Ontario sports betting, we’re excited to see how this powerhouse team of NBA stars will perform in Paris. Will this be the year for Team Canada basketball?
Official Canadian Men’s Olympic Basketball Team 2024: 12-Player Roster For Paris
Athlete | Professional Team |
1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2. RJ Barrett | Toronto Raptors |
3. Khem Birch | Basquet Girona (Spain) |
4. Dillon Brooks | Houston Rockets |
5. Luguentz Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder |
6. Melvin Ejim | Unicaja Malaga (Spain) |
7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
8. Trey Lyles | Sacramento Kings |
9. Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets |
10. Andrew Nembhard | Indiana Pacers |
11. Kelly Olynyk (Captain) | Toronto Raptors |
12. Dwight Powell | Dallas Mavericks |
At NorthStar Bets Ontario Sportsbook, Canada is second on the odds board to win the men’s basketball gold medal, with +800 odds. Team USA is the huge favorite at -455 odds.
The Canadian men’s Olympic basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics is studded with NBA mainstays. Of the 12 players named to the team on Wednesday by Basketball Canada, 10 play in the NBA. The biggest star on the team is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has averaged at least 30 points per game the past two seasons and was second in NBA Most Valuable Player voting in the 2023-24 campaign.
The two-time All-NBA First Team pick was born in Toronto, one of several Ontario natives who dot the roster, which will help ramp up even more interest in the team at Ontario sportsbook apps.
Other NBA Stars On Canadian Roster
RJ Barrett of the Toronto Raptors, Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder veteran forward Luguentz Dort are some of the other solid NBA players suiting up for Team Canada this summer.
NBA role players include Trey Lyles, Andrew Nembhard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin). Two international stars – Spanish league stalwarts Khem Birch and Melvin Ejim – also made the team.
The Canadian team lost an exhibition to Team USA in Las Vegas, 86-72, on July 10. But Canadian fans can hope that the experience inspired players to kick it in gear later this month in France’s capital city.
At Caesars Ontario Sportsbook, Team Canada has +200000 odds to win the most gold medals of any country across all sports. Team USA tops the odds board at -500, followed by China (+375).
More About Team Canada
Of the 12 men that made the Canadian Olympic basketball team, all but Ejim have played at least some games in the NBA. Incoming NBA rookie Zach Edey opted out of the summer games to focus on his NBA Summer League assignment with the Memphis Grizzlies.
That means that Canada will lean on players that have combined to log 4,604 games in the NBA, led by forward Kelly Olynyk (756 NBA games) and Dwight Powell (650). Murray has an NBA Championship under his belt from the Denver Nuggets’ title run in 2023. Plenty of these names will be familiar for Ontario NBA betting.
That experience averages out to 383.7 NBA games per player, meaning this year’s Canadian team will be among the most experienced squads in Paris. That should help the program snap its 86-year medal drought.
For now, we at least know who will be donning the red maple leaf when the games kick off later this month, as a who’s who of professional basketball stars take center stage for Canada in 2024.
Canadian Olympic Team NBA Experience
- Olynyk: 756 games
- Powell: 650 games
- Lyles: 581 games
- Murray: 469 games
- Brooks: 417 games
- Gilgeous-Alexander: 386 games
- Barrett: 329 games
- Alexander-Walker: 299 games
- Dort: 292 games
- Birch: 282 games
- Nembhard: 143 games
- Ejim: 0 games
- Total: 4,604 NBA games
Follow our Canada Olympic medal tracker, exclusively at OntarioBets.com, when the 2024 Paris Games begin.
Canadian Olympic Basketball Q&As
In July, Edey chose to use his first NBA offseason to work on his skills with the Memphis Grizzlies during the Summer League and withdrew his name from the running.
Many considered Andrew Wiggins a lock for Team Canada. However, in June it was reported that Andrew Wiggins and the Golden State Warriors made a mutual decision to have Wiggins be unavailable for consideration for Team Canada, citing medical reasons.
Historically, Team Canada hasn’t been great – the nation’s last appearance was at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where Canada finished seventh. The nation’s best result was a silver medal in 1936. Canada has qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and it is expected to be one of the best and most competitive teams in history for the country during the Olympics. The team has numerous top NBA talent joining its roster in Paris, helping sure up Canada’s chances for a strong performance.
According to Olympics.com, Team Canada is set to face Team Greece on Saturday, July 27 at 3 p.m. Eastern time in the Men’s Group Phase at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. Canada is in Group A with Greece, Australia and Spain.
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