History will be made when the 2025 NBA Finals tip off — not just in Oklahoma City or Indiana, but across Canada.
Four Canadians — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin — will feature in this year’s championship series. It’s the second straight year that four Canadians have reached the Finals, tying the record set in 2024.
But for the first time in league history, three Canadians will start in the NBA Finals, a testament to the country’s accelerating impact on the game.
The only other time multiple Canadians started in the Finals was in 2002, when Rick Fox and the Los Angeles Lakers took on Todd MacCulloch and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned NBA MVP, has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink of a title with one of the most efficient and versatile postseason performances in recent memory.
The Hamilton, Ontario native is averaging 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor in 16 NBA playoff games.
Calm and surgical, the 26-year-old has dismantled defences and delivered in the clutch all postseason long. He becomes just the second Canadian MVP winner, after Steve Nash’s back-to-back awards in 2005 and 2006.
Alongside him is Thunder teammate Luguentz Dort, who has spent six seasons building Oklahoma City’s championship foundation with Gilgeous-Alexander. Born and raised in Montréal-Nord, Dort has become the Thunder’s defensive heartbeat.
Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team this season — the first Canadian ever to earn that honour — Luguentz Dort has taken on every elite assignment, from Ja Morant to Anthony Edwards, and thrived. He’s also added 7.8 points per game in the playoffs, often sparking transition opportunities off his own stops.
The matchup represents more than just Canadian representation — it features the two best teams in basketball over the season’s final stretch. Since January 1st, Oklahoma City posted the NBA’s best record at 53-13, while Indiana ranked second at 46-18.
The best team from each conference advancing to the Finals sets up a compelling championship series between two squads that have been playing elite basketball for months. The Pacers have stunned the basketball world with their resilient run through the East.
Andrew Nembhard has been a revelation at point guard in his third NBA season. The Aurora, Ontario product is averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting a rock-solid 47 percent from the field. His control of tempo and unflappable decision-making alongside All-Star Tyrese Haliburton have drawn widespread praise from coaches and analysts alike.
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In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Nembhard recorded 14 points, 8 assists, and an incredible 6 steals — the most steals ever by a player in a Conference Finals close out game.
Looking ahead to the 2025 NBA Finals, Nembhard is poised to tackle the formidable challenge of guarding MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This pivotal matchup is expected to receive intense defensive emphasis, underscoring Nembhard’s increasing influence on basketball’s most prominent stage.
Meanwhile, Bennedict Mathurin, also from Montréal-Nord, has provided critical scoring off the bench. Now in his third NBA season, the 22-year-old has emerged as a fearless offensive spark, averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the field in 15 playoff games this season. His energy and explosiveness have swung multiple playoff games in Indiana’s favour.
The Montreal connection adds extra intrigue to this Finals matchup. Both Dort and Mathurin grew up in Montréal-Nord, the same working-class neighbourhood that has become an unexpected pipeline to NBA stardom. Now they find themselves on opposite sides of basketball’s biggest stage, carrying the pride of their community into the championship series.
Adding another layer to the Canadian connection is Pascal Siakam, who earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP honours after his dominant performance against the New York Knicks.
While born in Cameroon, Siakam spent eight transformative seasons with the Toronto Raptors and has become an honorary Canadian in the hearts of basketball fans across the country. His championship experience from the Raptors’ 2019 title run has been invaluable for Indiana’s young core.
It’s not just a proud moment for Canadian basketball — it’s the latest in a growing string of Finals appearances and championships involving players from the North.
The recent surge tells the story of Canada’s basketball evolution: Jamal Murray became the ninth Canadian champion when Denver captured the 2023 title, while Andrew Wiggins earned his ring with Golden State in 2022. Oshae Brissett added to the list with Boston’s 2024 championship.
The complete list of Canadian NBA champions spans nearly four decades and shows the acceleration of success. Mike Smrek won back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 1987 and 1988, followed by Bill Wennington’s three-peat with Chicago from 1996-1998.
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Rick Fox captured three straight with the Lakers from 2000-2002, then Joel Anthony won consecutive championships with Miami in 2012 and 2013. Cory Joseph earned his ring with San Antonio in 2014, followed by Tristan Thompson’s breakthrough with Cleveland in 2016.
Chris Boucher, also from Montréal-Nord, became the first Canadian to win with two different franchises, capturing titles with Golden State in 2018 and Toronto in 2019.
The numbers are striking: Canada produced seven champions across three decades, then added two more in just the past three years. In 2024, four Canadians reached the Finals — Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and A.J. Lawson with Dallas, plus Oshae Brissett with Boston — though all were role players rather than stars.
This year’s series not only continues that trend — it elevates it. Never before have three Canadians started in the NBA Finals. And with Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP status, Dort’s defensive acclaim, Nembhard’s composure, and Mathurin’s scoring punch, they aren’t just participating — they’re shaping the outcome.
The broader implications extend beyond individual success. These four players represent different development paths that showcase Canada’s basketball infrastructure.
Youth programs across the country report unprecedented enrollment, with provinces like Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia producing Division I prospects at historic rates. Basketball participation rates now rival hockey in many urban centers, a transformation that seemed unimaginable just a decade ago.
What once felt like a basketball outpost has become one of the sport’s most reliable pipelines. Canada is no longer just producing NBA players. It’s producing NBA stars. And in 2025, the basketball world is watching them take center stage.
When Game 1 tips off at Paycom Center, four Canadians will carry their country’s hopes into the championship series. Regardless of which team emerges victorious, at least two Canadians will capture NBA championships.
Win or lose, they’ve already proven that Canadian basketball belongs on the sport’s biggest stage, inspiring a new generation to believe that basketball’s future runs through the True North.
