MIES (Switzerland) - In the newly released Court of Gold series now showing on Netflix, the world gets a strong dose of FIBA Ball and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the stars that make the game special.
Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett are two of them.
They are big reasons why the country made it to the 2024 Olympics - their first appearance at the Summer Games since 2000, when Barrett's father, Rowan, and basketball legend, FIBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash were on the team.
At the start of episode 3, Gilgeous-Alexander and a couple of friends are seen walking into the Stade de France to watch the men's 100m at the Paris Games, and the Canada point guard reveals his mother was a great runner for Antigua at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Viewers then see footage of Charmaine Gilgeous at the starting line at the Barcelona Games.
"Growing up my mom honestly didn't really talk about the Olympics as much," he says. "More about the work she had to put in to get there, and the work it was going to take for us to be successful in sports.
"It's crazy, like, you do four years of work for, in their case, 10 seconds. In her case, however long it was. And you just try your hards to make it your best 10 seconds you can possibly do...
"I have so many opportunities to get a game right or win the final game. With them, it's all on the line for a short period of time. And it's an appreciation for me, for sure."
Gilgeous-Alexander was in the All-Star Five at the World Cup 2023 and finished second in the NBA MVP voting last season so clearly his mother's message about hard work got through.
For Barrett, two of the people that showed him how to go for success were his father, Rowan, and his dad's former Canada teammate and close friend, legend Steve Nash.
Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, was also MVP of the FIBA AmeriCup in both 1999 and 2003.
"Steve's influence on RJ was tremendous," Rowan says.
“I met RJ as a toddler," reveals Nash. "And I've just been Uncle Steve and followed him ever since."
"Steve Nash, you know, he’s my godfather," RJ says. "Being able to see that someone that I know is in the NBA, it made the goal feel more achievable."
The MVP of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017, RJ was later drafted by the New York Knicks and after three seasons at Madison Square Garden, he now plays for Toronto.
Barrett could not have had a better example to follow than Nash, who explains what his approach was as a player.
"I always try to stay, you know, diligent with my work ethic, with the next step, the next day, and the next training session, the next performance. And hopefully by doing that, I was able to reach a height that was inspirational to a generation behind me."
He is proud of RJ.
"It’s an incredible feeling to see him become the young man that he is, the basketball player, and the way he has such an incredible pride in playing for his country"
As for RJ drawing inspiration from his father?
“Growing up and knowing how important the Olympics are to my dad, I told him that I would get there one day and put my jersey up on the wall next to his," he says. "He’s gotta move his over and make space for a new one.
"I love representing my country. There's a lot of joy, there's a lot of pride in it. You know, it's not for money or anything, it's just 'Our country is better than yours.'"
It's not for money or anything, it's just 'Our country is better than yours
FIBA