Twenty-five years in the past Vince Carter dominated the NBA’s Slam Dunk competitors, inspiring a brand new era of Canadian basketball gamers.
Hamilton’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could also be doing the identical factor Sunday as the one Canadian taking part in within the NBA’s All-Star Sport. Mark Tatum, the deputy commissioner of the NBA, just lately in contrast the impression Carter and the Toronto Raptors have had on basketball in Canada to the potential Gilgeous-Alexander has to encourage extra followers.
“It’s outstanding. I imply, basketball in Canada is rising and rising and rising,” stated Tatum in a latest video convention name with basketball reporters from all over the world. “Exterior of the U.S., we’ve got extra Canadian gamers than any from another nation outdoors the world, and in order that it’s a part of the Raptors impact.”
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Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.5 factors, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. It’s the third consecutive season the place he’s averaged greater than 30 factors per sport and is as soon as once more being thought-about an MVP candidate.
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He’ll be on Workforce Chuck on Sunday, a squad of primarily worldwide gamers chosen by Corridor of Famer Charles Barkley. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia, French phenom Victor Wembanyama and former Raptors star Pascal Siakam of Cameroon will be a part of Gilgeous-Alexander on Workforce Chuck.
Tatum stated these worldwide begins are serving to develop the game all over the world.
“That’s a part of having gamers, going again to Steve Nash, to at this time with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s a reputable MVP candidate and, like lots of our gamers who’re from these totally different nations, they encourage a subsequent era of participant,” stated Tatum. “This era of Canadian gamers now, wanting on the Canadian nationwide staff they usually’re actually good, they usually’re going to be good for a very long time, I believe that conjures up a whole nation.”
Tatum stated he thinks the Toronto Tempo, a brand new WNBA franchise set to start play in 2026, can have the same impression on the ladies’s sport in Canada.
“We noticed that once we introduced WNBA video games to Canada, they bought out inside a matter of minutes,” stated Tatum, referring to pre-season video games held in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024. “The keenness for girls’s sports activities, and notably ladies’s basketball now in Canada, we’re going to see that when the brand new staff begins taking part in in Toronto too.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 15, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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