Canada’s senior men’s basketball team is set to participate in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in hopes of finishing on the podium for the first time ever and qualifying for their first Olympics since 2000. The team led the Americas in the qualifying run with an 11-1 record and a world-best +351 point differential, thanks to Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, Canada has been drawn into Group H, where they will face France, Lebanon and Latvia in Jakarta, Indonesia. Canada’s head coach, Nick Nurse, is still committed to the program, and the team remains focused on achieving their goals. The top two teams from Group H will face off against the top two teams from Group G, including Spain and Brazil. The top two teams from Group L will move onto the quarterfinals, which means that Canada will need to beat one of Spain or France to move on to the knockout stage. Canada needs to finish top-two in the Americas to automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Canada’s immediate opponents in Group H are France, Lebanon, and Latvia. France, ranked No. 5, is an international basketball powerhouse that earned silver at the 2020 Olympics. Canada will have to overcome Victor Wembenyama, who is likely to be drafted No. 1 overall in the NBA draft just weeks before the tournament. Joel Embiid, who has never played in a major international tournament, is eligible to play for France, the USA, or Cameroon. Lebanon, ranked No. 43, is led by Wael Arakji, a score-first point guard who plays his club basketball in Lebanon. Finally, Latvia is led by the Orlando Magic’s Anzejs Pasecniks, who played in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Canada will have to overcome the varying styles of play of these teams to move on to the knockout stage.