OLYNYK CONTINUES TO SHOW UP FOR CANADIAN TEAM
NBA player relishes chance to represent nation by wearing Maple Leaf on home soil
Various high-level Canadian basketball players have declined to play for the senior men’s national team for a variety of reasons over the years, some fully valid and understandable, others simply choices they made and live with.
Basketball doesn’t have anywhere close to the prestige or the funding of hockey in this country, so you won’t find every pro lining up to play no matter what, but there are still plenty of elite players who jump at answering the call.
Like Kelly Olynyk, who was born in Toronto and grew up there and in Kamloops, B.C., before going on to Gonzaga and then a solid NBA career so far with Boston and Miami.
Olynyk’s international resume includes stints with Canadian teams from 2008-11 as well as the 2015 Rio Olympic qualifiers, and he would have been there in 2016 if he hadn’t had surgery.
Why does he keep coming back as often as possible?
“I love the game of basketball, I love my country. Simple as that,” Olynyk said earlier this week at Ryerson’s Mattamy Centre in downtown Toronto.
“I think his quote was one of the ones that rings true to a lot of Canadian basketball players,” head coach Jay Triano said.
“I think some of his best friends are guys that play on this team, and I think wanting to do something and accept the challenge with those guys is a big thing.”
Olynyk and his teammates are preparing for Friday’s game against the Dominican Republic at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum.
The team plays the U.S. Virgin Islands in Ottawa on Monday afternoon.
For Olynyk, the games in Ontario and exhibitions against China in B.C. are giving him the rare opportunity to perform in front of family and friends in both provinces while wearing the red and white.
“It’s awesome … something that doesn’t come up not only every day, but every year or decade even,” Olynyk said.
“It’s pretty cool to be a part of, especially when the games have legitimate meaning as far as our standing and what’s to come.”
Canada is attempting to qualify for the FIBA World Cup for the first time since 2010 and the Olympics beyond that for the first time since 2000.
Most of the Canadian players have been together on the court in one place or another for years now, so there is a familiarity.
“It’s fun, seeing all these guys I grew up with, it’s fun for me,” said point guard Cory Joseph, who has emerged as Canada’s de facto captain having suited up for Canada since 2007 (and for Ontario before that).
“I love to play the game, I love to expand and work on my game in the off-season and I love team atmospheres and that’s what I get here and I love to compete and that’s what we do in practices,” he said.
It’s pretty cool to be a part of, especially when the games have legitimate meaning as far as our standing and what’s to come.
“It’s also an opportunity for us to enjoy these spectacular cities.”
Toronto played the New York Knicks in Montreal in 2010 and 2012 and the Washington Wizards in 2015.
The team has held training camp in British Columbia often and had games in Vancouver frequently.
Portland all-star Damian Lillard was looking forward to returning to Vancouver, this time on a work visit.
“Vancouver is cool, I’ve been there a few times and I’ve always really enjoyed it. We’re looking forward to playing in front of fans from another great Pacific Northwest city,” Lillard said.
The NBA announced on Thursday that the sixth NBA Canada Series will feature the Raptors against the Portland Trail Blazers at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Sept. 29, followed by a Toronto-brooklyn game at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Oct.10.
This is the first time either the Blazers or Nets have been involved in the NBA Canada series. Toronto will play its ninth and 10th games. Tickets will go on sale July 14, with pre-sale ticket access at Nba.com/canadaseries.
“One of the many great things about being Canada’s team is that we get a chance to bring the game we love to different parts of the country, and to connect with our fans, whose support is so important to us throughout the season,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a news release.