Less than five months have passed since Canada surprised the United States with a thrilling 127-118 overtime win in the bronze medal game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Now, the two sides are once again set to reignite their basketball rivalry.
The two top-ranked FIBA federations in the Americas have revealed plans for a pre-Olympics exhibition match as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The event is scheduled for July 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be aired live on FS1 and Sportsnet at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET.
The USA Basketball Showcase, a series of games preparing the USA Basketball national teams for major competitions, will also feature matchups against South Sudan and Germany in London, UK.
Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO, expressed excitement about returning to Las Vegas, stating, “The game at T-Mobile Arena against Canada is an important opportunity in our preparations and a great chance for our fans to support the U.S. national team before heading overseas.”
Rowan Barrett, General Manager / Executive Vice-President, Senior Men’s Program for Canada, echoed the sentiment, saying, “Facing the U.S. on the road will not only be a great early test for the team but an important step for us in the pursuit of our goals this summer.”
In anticipation of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Canada’s senior men’s national team is set to kick off their training camp in Toronto, Ontario, at the end of June. This marks their tenth Olympic appearance, with their last participation dating back to 2000, where the team secured a seventh-place finish in Sydney.
The Canadian basketball federation is anticipated to announce additional pre-Olympics exhibition games in the coming weeks. Leading-up to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the Canadian senior men’s national team played five exhibition games against New Zealand, Germany, Spain (x2), and the Dominican Republic.
USA Basketball has unveiled its 41-athlete player pool for the 2024 USA Basketball men’s national team, with star players like Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis expected to feature.
Canada is also committed to its core group of players, and if everyone is healthy, they could counter with a lineup consisting of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, Zach Edey, and potentially adding one or two of its young core NBA guards such as Shaedon Sharpe, Bennedict Mathruin, Andrew Nembhard or opting to bring on Andrew Wiggins.
The 2024 Paris Olympics basketball games will commence on July 27 and run until August 11, 2024. The final draw and groups will be released following the completion of the 2024 FIBA Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments from July 2-7, 2024.
