MIES (Switzerland) - Canada have one of the most talented teams in international basketball with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. having reached the podium at the 2023 World Cup, and finished fifth at the 2024 Olympics.
The country has always given the basketball world talented, impactful players.
Which ones should make up the All-Time Canada Five?
Here is what we think.
Steve Nash - Guard
Starting with the obvious, the two-time MVP of the NBA and national team star Nash. As revered as they come in the game and not just in Canada, but around the world, Nash was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020. He is also in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame and the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
With Canada, he was a spectacular floor general, leading the country to a runners-up finish at the 1999 FIBA AmeriCup, seventh at the 2000 Olympics and third at the 2001 FIBA AmeriCup. At the age of 20, when Canada hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup and Nash was a college player at Santa Clara, he was already one of the most important players in the national team.
At the event in Toronto, he played an average of 23.6 minutes per game. After his playing career, Nash kickstarted the gold era of Canada basketball by serving as general manager for the national team before handing that baton to his teammate, Rowan Barrett.
Nash brought unprecedented attention to Canada hoops with his NBA career. When he played with the Phoenix Suns, he ignited the team's up-tempo attack. While he led the league in assists at various stages of his career, he was also a great shooter. He was a member of the 50/40/90 club in his prime, making over half his shots from the field, hitting over 42% of his shots from the arc and drilling better than 90% of his free-throws.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Guard
Talk about superstars, Gilgeous-Alexander is one in both the Canada jersey and his Oklahoma City Thunder shirt. A slick ball-handler, the point guard takes over games with his scoring ability, be it with pull-ups, step and snatch backs and crossover dribbles. Sometimes the only thing a defender can do is foul because of Gilgeous-Alexander ball fakes. Simply put, Gilgeous-Alexander either scores or gets to the line, where he's a good free-throw shooter.
At the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander earned a spot on the All-Star Five after leading Canada to a spot on the podium for the first time in their history. He averaged an eye-popping 24.5 points per game, along with 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Then at the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21.0 points as Canada reached the Quarter-Finals and came in fifth.
Jay Triano - Guard
Captain Canada went into battle with the Reds from 1977 to 1988 and had many a big game for the national team. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Triano averaged a team-high 14.6 ppg. In their Quarter-final triumph over Italy, Triano, a shooting guard, exploded for 25 points but Canada then fell to Michael Jordan and the USA, 78-59. In the Bronze Medal Game, Canada slipped up against Drazen Petrovic and Yugoslavia, 88-82.
Four years later at the Olympics in Seoul, Triano's 16.0 ppg led Canada to a sixth-place finish. Triano was also a linchpin in the Canada teams that played at the FIBA Basketball World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986. When Canada played at the 1988 World Cup in Spain, Triano again led them in scoring at 16.8 ppg and they ended up eighth. His highest-scoring World Cup was in 1982, in Colombia, where he averaged 17.9 ppg. One of his best games at that event was against the USA, when he poured in 20 points in a game Canada lost, 81-79. Triano captained the team from 1981 to 1988.
Leo Rautins - Forward
At 16, Rautins was the youngest player to earn a place in the Canada team. At 18, he was not just a member of the Canada team that played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 1978 in the Philippines. Rautins was the leading scorer at 19.7 ppg. Two years later, he helped Canada reach the Final of the inaugural FIBA AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1982, the explosive 2.03m (6ft 8in) small forward also played at the World Cup in Colombia and averaged 16.0 ppg.
Rautins was viewed by many for the longest time as the best Canada player ever. His son, Andy, who followed in his dad's footsteps by playing at Syracuse and was also a terrific player for Canada, once said to The Good Life, Central New York: "I remember watching old highlight tapes of my father and being blown away by what I saw. I mean, he was dunking on Magic Johnson and Patrick Ewing. And the passes he threw were amazing. It was, like, 'Wow.' I still can’t really get my head around what he used to do."
Greg Wiltjer - Center
At the 1984 Olympics, when Canada were oh so close to winning a medal, Wiltjer, a center, excelled. Not only was he the third leading scoring on the team but also the leading rebounder. In fact, Wiltjer grabbed 63 rebounds at the Los Angeles Games and finished as the second leading player in that category. He had a couple of double-doubles in points and rebounds, and was close to having two more. In the 88-82 Bronze Medal Game defeat to Yugoslavia, Wiltjer had 12 points and 8 boards.
Wiltjer, the father of current Canadian star Kyle Wiltjer, suited up Canada at several international events, including FIBA Basketball World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1994. Selected with the 43rd pick overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by Chicago, the same year Jordan was taken by the Bulls, Wiltjer never played in the league. He instead had a successful career on the old continent, winning two Greek league titles and two Greek Cups with Aris, as a teammate of legendary duo Nikos Galis and Panagiotis Giannakis. Wiltjer also won a European Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona.
Honorable Mention
RJ Barrett
A forward in Canada's national team, Barrett not only averaged 16.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg for Canada at the 2023 World Cup. He came up big in the important games at the end. Barrett had 24 in the Quarter-Final win over Slovenia, 23 in the Semi-Final defeat to Serbia and 23 in the Third-Place Game triumph over the USA. Barrett, was several years earlier the MVP of the U19 Basketball World Cup in Cairo, shot 37.3% (19 of 51) from deep in the tournament was an integral part of the team that reached the podium of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Barrett, with five full NBA seasons under his belt, averaged 19.8 ppg at the Olympics in Paris, where Canada played for the first time since 2000, when his father, Rowan, was in the team. RJ Barrett was 24 at the Paris Games and figures to have several more tournaments ahead with the national team.
Rick Fox
Fox was still a collegian at North Carolina when he suited up for Canada at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 1990. He was the second leading scorer in that team that finished 12th out of 16 teams. When the Canadians hosted the World Cup in Toronto four years later, Fox averaged a team-high 16.3 points per game as it finished seventh.
Carl English
English was a solid all-round player yet was best known as a lethal shooter. He hit 12 of 23 (52.2%) from 3-point range at his first FIBA AmeriCup in 2005 in the Dominican Republic, when he led Canada in scoring at 18.0 points per game. At the AmeriCup four years later in Puerto Rico, English again led the team in scoring at 12.5 ppg, while hitting 18 of 38 (47.4%) from deep. Canada finished fourth and qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Again at the AmeriCup, in 2011, English impressed, making 13 of 29 (44.8%) from long range as Canada finished sixth.
Eli Pasquale
Having led University of Victoria to five consecutive Canadian University championships, and then Canada to gold at the 1983 Summer Universiade, it was no surprise to see Pasquale immediately have a starring role with the national team at the 1984 Olympics. He averaged 8.1 ppg and a team-high 3.6 apg, and had 16 points in Canada's narrow Bronze Medal Game defeat to Yugoslavia in '84. He also shone at the 1986 World Cup and 1988 Olympics.
Kelly Olynyk
The captain of Canada during their run to the podium at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila in 2023, Olynyk helped set the tone for a great tournament with 18 points in the opening day win over France. He had 11 in the Third-Place Game triumph over USA. Olynyk, a multi-skilled power forward at 2.11m (6ft 11in), can shoot from deep and slash to the basket. He averaged 10.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.9 apg at the World Cup. He also represented Canada at the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024. Olynyk played for the national team as far back as the 2010 Word Cup in Istanbul. He was only 19, yet a big part of the team.
Gerald Kazanowski
Canada coaching legend Ken Shields once said that Kazanowski, a four-time national champion at the University of Victoria, had "ability, intelligence and character ... the three ingredients necessary for somebody to excel." And excel he did. Kazanowski, a 2.06m (6ft 9in) power forward, played for the Canada team that won the 1983 Summer Universiade in Edmonton over a USA side that had Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. He also shone for Canada at the 1984 Olympics, when Canada narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, and at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul.
Bill Wennington
A three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, Wennington was a terrific center on the '83 Universiade team with Pasquale, Wiltjer and Triano. The former St Johns man was in the 1984 team that fell to Yugoslavia in the Bronze Medal Game.
FIBA
*This All-Star Five and the honorable mentions are entirely subjective and in no way represent an official or accurate award, nor do they reflect FIBA's official stance. All comments are solely those of the author and expert panel, intended to entertain the fans.