Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada hunting for gold at World Cup

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just two wins away from helping Canada Basketball make history. Our neighbors to the north have never earned a gold medal at any international basketball event, but that could change come Sunday.

Despite entering the 2023 FIBA World Cup ranked 15th in the world, the Canadians won their group with a perfect 3-0 record, including a 30-point victory over fifth-ranked France to kickstart their impressive run. Canada tripped up against Brazil in a shocking 69-65 loss to start the second round but recovered quickly to take down top-ranked Spain 88-85 in the following game, pushing them through to the quarterfinals. A convincing 100-89 win over Luka Doncic (who called SGA “one of the best players in the world” after the game) and Slovenia on Wednesday now has Canada through to the semifinals.

The Canadians have Gilgeous-Alexander to thank for making it this far. The Toronto native/former Kentucky point guard/current Oklahoma City Thunder superstar has inarguably been the most dominant player in this entire event.

“It feels good, but we’re not satisfied. We didn’t come here to reach the semifinals. We came here to get gold,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after beating Slovenia, according to FIBA. “We just set out to play basketball. Every night we try to make the right basketball plays for ourselves and our teammates and play to our strengths. And we did that tonight.”

Best players at the World Cup, per HoopsHype's Global Rating.

Shai is a mortal lock to win MVP now 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/hGCDX67u7c

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) September 6, 2023

Let’s look at SGA’s general stats so far at the World Cup. The 25-year-old NBA All-Star has appeared in six games for Canada, putting together averages of 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in 30.4 minutes per contest. He’s also shooting an impressive 54.7 percent from the field (nearly 64 percent on 2s), 32.0 percent from distance, and 88.9 percent (48-54) from the free-throw line. Gilgeous-Alexander is getting it done mostly inside the arc for Canada, using his signature slowed-down pace to manipulate defenses and create for his teammates. He has just eight turnovers to 30 assists.

“Shai knows when to take the game over. He knows when to pick his spots,” Rowan Barrett, general manager of Canada Basketball and father of Canada guard RJ Barrett, said. “But he’s also letting the game breathe and take what comes to him and make sure that he’s feeding everybody. It’s hard to beat a team when you don’t know where it’s coming from.”

If Canada winds up medaling for the first time ever at the World Cup, SGA is more than likely going to win Most Valuable Player. He’s carried his country to this point behind back-to-back games of at least 30 points in the final second-round matchup and the quarterfinals. He’s already helped Canada qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer, the country’s first Olympic Games appearance since 2000. SGA is also the first Canadian with multiple 30-point games in the World Cup since Leo Rautins did it twice in 1978. He’s no ordinary talent.

Next up for Canada is a semifinal showdown against No. 6 Serbia (the first-ever matchup between the two countries) early Friday morning at 4:45 p.m. EST on ESPN+. A win there would move Canada into the championship round against the winner of the United States and Germany, which is scheduled for Sunday morning.

A Canada vs. USA gold medal showdown would be must-watch TV — let’s hope we get it.