While basketball is a more global game than it's ever been, folks in Canada will always have a special connection to the sport invented by one of their own.
And for the second time since Dr. James Naismith first shot a ball into a peach basket over a century ago, and through nearly 80 years of NBA history, we're going to see four Canadians on the game's biggest stage.
With an NBA Finals matchup set between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, it officially ties a national record for the red-and-white.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Hamilton, Ont.) and Luguentz Dort (Montreal) representing the Thunder on one side, and Andrew Nembhard (Aurora, Ont.) and Bennedict Mathurin (Montreal) with the Pacers.
“To see four homegrown players competing for an NBA championship is a testament to the depth, resilience, and world-class players being developed in Canada,” said Rowan Barrett, general manager and executive vice-president of the Canadian senior men's national team, per Canada Basketball. “We couldn’t be prouder of what this means for our country and for the continued growth of the game.”
Gilgeous-Alexander's stellar season has been well documented and he'll undoubtedly play a pivotal role as OKC readies for its first Finals appearance since 2012. Dort enters the matchup with plenty on his resume as well, after the vaunted defender earned his first all-defence selection (first team) and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
And while Nembhard and Mathurin don't bring as many individual accolades, both have played vital parts in the Pacers' back-to-back runs to the East Finals — and to this year's title series. The pair ranked fifth and sixth in scoring for Indiana during the third round while Nembhard was third on the team in minutes and second for assists.
NBA Finals on Sportsnet
A new champion will be crowned as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers face off in the NBA Finals. Which team will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time? Watch on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort were also part of Canada's bronze medal-winning team at the FIBA World Cup in 2023, while the pair were joined by Nembhard for the team's fifth-place finish at last year's Olympics in Paris — the Canadian men's first appearance in 24 years.
The quartet of Canadians in the fourth round ties a record that was set just last year when the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks. That title series included Oshae Brissett (Mississauga, Ont.) for Boston and the trio of Dwight Powell (Toronto), A.J. Lawson (Brampton, Ont.) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Montreal) for Dallas.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals takes place on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
