LAS VEGAS—It is laudable that is building a senior men’s team to endure, from this summer through the 2028 and 2032 Olympics and FIBA World Cups for quadrennial as far as the eye can see. It would put Canada with the dynasties of the past 25 years, the United States seemingly forever, Argentina through the 2000s, Spain in the 2010s. There’s no reason to doubt the possibility.
There is plenty of talent in place with more coming and, most important, that is resonating through the basketball world. It has definitely reached the upper level of American basketball and in a far more immediate way. “Tough team to deal with,” U.
S. star Kevin Durant said Tuesday when the Americans worked in advance of Wednesday’s pre-Olympic exhibition game against Canada (10:30 p.m.
ET, Sportsnet One). “They have guys who are committed to the Canada program, last two years they’ve been getting that chemistry with each other, played together for awhile.” That familiarity is what Canada is banking not only at the coming Paris Olympics but into the long-off future.
A core group has made playing for Canada something special and the feeling isn’t going away. “Good players don’t make good teams, the glue is what makes a good team,” said. “The guys are working here to come together, to spend time together, to work together, to sweat together, to get yelled at together, to have fun together.
I think that’s the most important thing.” There are still roster decisions to be made .