BROOKLYN — Having played for the world, Andrew Wiggins’ next step will be playing for Canada.
The rising rookie star made his All-Star Weekend debut at the Barclays Center as the centrepiece of the World Team that matched up against Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge, a new twist on the rookie-sophomore game.
It was a glorified scrimmage that only occasionally resembled a real basketball game, though the pace was turned up a little bit as the U.S. tried to make a late comeback.
Wiggins fared well, walking away with both the 121-112 win and the MVP award. Not a bad showing for his first time at the NBA’s signature weekend.
Wiggins may have had the game’s signature moment when he flew through the air almost horizontally to convert an overly ambitious alley-oop from Dennis Schroder, the Atlanta Hawks point guard from Germany, late in the first half. The finish was one of the Canadian’s five dunks on his way to a World Team-high 22 points; he also added six rebounds and four assists. Victor Oladipo and Zack Levine racked up 22 apiece for Team USA.
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Wiggins was even greeted with “O Canada” chants when he shot free throws. Could that be a preview of what might happen in the near future playing for his country and eventually matching up against the U.S. in a major international competition?
Wiggins wants it to happen.
The next time Wiggins plays on a team trying to defeat the United States on a basketball court, he hopes a lot more will be on the line.
“That’s a game I dream of,” he said. “Hopefully [Canada] can play [them] in the Olympics.”
The significance of Friday night’s game wasn’t the outcome, but what it suggests: that basketball is growing in international significance. With Wiggins front-and-centre — literally, he had the position of honour front-and-centre for the World Team photograph — it also hints at a fast-arriving future in which Canada is a significant part of the global basketball picture.
The only down note may have been that Wiggins was the only Canadian in the game. Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics had to bow out with an ankle injury while other eligible Canadians — Anthony Bennett, the first overall pick in 2014, Nik Stauskas, drafted No. 8 this past summer by Sacramento, and Tyler Ennis, taken No. 18 by Phoenix, were all passed over for the World Team roster.
Wiggins was targeted by Team USA’s Oladipo, of the Orlando Magic, which helped turn the temperature of the game up a little bit.
“It’s games like this you want to have fun going at people,” Oladipo said. “It was a good team. He’s a great player. I’ve been watching him. The sky’s limit for him … it was fun to match up and go at it.”
Wiggins has already indicated he’ll play for Canada at the Pan-Am Games in Toronto this July, which will be his senior national team debut and an important tune-up for Canada in advance of Olympic qualifying.
He fell short of committing to play for Canada at qualifying, however, but made it sound like it’s high on his priority list.
“Right now I’m taking it day-by-day, but it’s definitely something I want to do,” he said.
The focus of the summer is The Tournament of the Americas in Monterrey, Mexico from Aug. 25 – Sept. 6. Canada’s task will be simple: snag one of the two available spots for the 16-team Olympic field that will compete in Brazil in the summer of 2016.
Helping their cause is the fact the United States has already qualified by winning the World Cup in Spain last summer, and will not be competing at FIBA-Americas tournament. Brazil qualifies by virtue of being the host nation.
Despite the rapid rise in basketball participation and the influx of young Canadian talent into the NBA — eight Canadians have been drafted in the first round since 2011 — the men’s senior national team has qualified for just one Olympic tournament since 1988.
But even with the drought, Canada has the NBA’s attention. Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, and the star of the Dominican Republic team that will be one of Canada’s chief competitors for one of the two Olympic spots, thinks Canada is the team to beat.
“With all that talent?” he said. “I think you’d have to say Canada’s the favourite.”