Jay Triano, in one capacity or another, has been part of the Canada Basketball family for decades. He played in 1984 and 1988 Olympics, was head coach of the national program when it earned a berth at the Sydney Olympics and has coached the country’s only NBA franchise in Toronto.
Another figure leaving a similar stamp on the Canadian basketball scene – albeit a much more visible one – is Steve Nash.
It was all but given that once Nash was hired as the new general manager of Canada Basketball, Triano wouldn’t be far behind.
The program now has a famous face to carry it and a familiar coach with a history of success. Together, each have the potential to change the culture of the Canadian game in a big way.
At the same podium Thursday in Toronto, both Nash and Triano made it very clear that starting immediately, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is the goal.
Their "four-year plan" begins this weekend with an evaluation camp with Canada’s top national team prospects.
"That’s the biggest goal we have as a staff at the end of this week is to figure out where we are. There’s no competition this year for us," said Triano.
He emphasized the fact that the immediate future will be dedicated to finding and developing the best of the best, while trying to qualify for FIBA World Championships next summer and then ultimately the Olympics.
"We need to find out who those players are, what type of team we’re going to be, and where we need to go," Triano added.
Triano and his coaching staff have no shortage of talent to sift through this weekend. The camp roster includes three first-round picks from the last two NBA drafts: San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph, Orlando Magic forward Andrew Nicholson, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson.
Other notable players include Toronto-native Myck Kabongo, Joseph’s brother Devoe and Philip Scrubb from the Canadian Interuniversity Sports powerhouse Carleton Ravens.
In addition to development, Nash stressed the importance of the right motivation. Both Nash and Triano noted the opportunity to represent their country at the Olympic Games as one of the highlights of their playing careers, and they want the new breed of Canadian players to have that same drive.
"The inspiration of having just watched the Olympics, I hope means a lot to the players that are in Canada and that they crave to be there four years from now," Triano said.
With the talent part of the equation essentially taken care of, it’s clear Triano will be expecting a lot from his team in terms of heart, and that could be what makes the difference.
Ryan Bell, who played on the national team for four years under Leo Rautins, says he believes the combination of Nash, Triano and the rest of the coaching staff could mark a significant change in how young players look at the program.
"It feels like they want it more," Bell said. "They want to bring Canada basketball back to where it should be. It just seems like there’s a new force behind it with these two guys."
"I think it’ll be different, I think a lot of guys will respond to it differently and be more excited to play. I think a lot more young kids are going to want to come and represent the country," he added.
If Bell is right, then Triano will have the tools he needs to put Canadian men’s basketball back on the list of international contenders.