For the longest time, the dominant sport in Canada was hockey. However, in recent history, there has been a shift in the way Canadian basketball is viewed. From early Canadian players emerging in the 1980s to a partnership between the NBA and Canada Basketball in 2015, Canada’s involvement in basketball has had a significant trend upwards.
The Impact of Canadian-born Players in Today’s NBA
For most of its history, American-born players and staff represented the majority of nationalities seen in the NBA. International talent began to fill the league as basketball expanded into the global brand that it is now. Players like Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili became superstars. They were and still remain featured as faces of the NBA as a sport and a brand.
Important Canadians in Basketball
The diversity that we see in today’s NBA began to take shape when international talent entered the league, including Canadian-born players. Some of these players include Bill Wennington, a Montreal native who played thirteen seasons in the NBA. Wennington won three titles with the Chicago Bulls from 1996 to 1998.
Rick Fox, a Toronto native and three-time champion had a thirteen-year NBA career. Fox was an integral part of the mid-2000’s Los Angeles Lakers teams.
Finally, there is Steve Nash, arguably the most well-known Canadian basketball player. Nash enjoyed an 18-year career, 10 of which were with the Phoenix Suns. He was named Most Valuable Player in both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons and had eight NBA All-Star selections. He finished second to Dirk Nowitzki in MVP voting in the 2006-07 season.
These players, among many others, provided the opportunity for Canadian basketball to develop a valuable partnership with the NBA. The history of international players in the NBA laid the groundwork to help grow the game and brand internationally. These players became role models for Canadian youth and encouraged them to start playing basketball.
Canadian-Born Players and the NBA Draft
In 2011, Tristan Thompson became the first Canadian-born player to be a lottery pick, going fourth overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs made history again in 2013, selecting Toronto’s Anthony Bennett with the number one overall pick. In 2014, Cleveland again won the first overall pick and used it to select the Thornhill, Ontario product, Andrew Wiggins.
As it stands today, there are twenty-two active Canadian-born players playing in the NBA. As of last year’s draft, at least one Canadian-born player has been selected in the past ten years. A record of six Canadian-born players were selected in 2019. This upward trend over the years is encouraging for further growing basketball in Canada.
Canada’s Connection with the NBA
The NBA took a big step forward in its efforts to grow the game in Canada. In 2015, it launched a youth basketball campaign in Canada aimed at increasing youth participation in basketball across the country. The campaign included the NBA’s first-ever central database for youth clubs, public service announcements featuring notable Canadian and Raptor basketball talent, and social media promotions.
Dan Mackenzie, who served as Vice-President and the General Manager of NBA Canada from 2014 to 2019, was quoted as saying, “It is an exciting time for basketball in this country, from the first-ever Canadian number one pick in the NBA draft this year to rising participation in the sport at all levels.”
He continued, “Through this campaign, we will make it easier to find a place to play and to further contribute to the growth of basketball in Canada.”
Since then, many other partnerships between the NBA and Canada Basketball have been made, most recently in June of 2019. The strong relationship that exists between these organizations means that Canadian talent continues and will continue to find its way into the NBA.
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