Canada’s national men’s basketball team has been allocated to Group H for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will be held later this year. This comes after the tournament hosts — the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia — were each given the opportunity to choose one preferred team to play games in their country. Indonesia chose Canada, which means Canada will play round-robin games in Jakarta. Meanwhile, the Philippines selected the United States, who were assigned to Group C, and Japan selected Slovenia, who were assigned to Group F.
Canada’s opponents in Group H will be determined during the FIBA World Cup Draw on Saturday morning. Due to geographic and other pot restrictions, the team’s three opponents will be some combination of France, Serbia, Lithuania, Montenegro, China, Latvia, Georgia, Lebanon, Egypt, South Sudan, and Cape Verde.
Fans can watch the FIBA World Cup Draw live on sportsnet.ca and SN NOW on Saturday morning. The tournament will be broadcast on Sportsnet and SN NOW from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, with further broadcast details to come.
Canada has yet to qualify for the Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Games, but the team has been making steady progress in recent years, with several NBA players on its roster. In the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Canada was eliminated in the second round after finishing third in its group behind Lithuania and Australia.
With the FIBA World Cup being one of the most prestigious basketball tournaments in the world, this will be a significant opportunity for Canada to showcase its talent on the international stage. The team will be looking to make a strong impression and secure a top spot in Group H to advance to the knockout rounds, where they can compete for the championship.