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It's somewhat of a mystery as to why Canada's men's basketball team hasn't been more successful on the international stage. After all, Canada has produced a litany of exceptional basketball players over the years — not to mention the inventor of the game in James Naismith!
Alas, Canada last qualified for the Olympic Games in 2000 (finishing 7th), and finished 21st at the last FIBA World Cup in 2019.
However, the preliminary roster for the 2023 tournament is arguably the strongest Canadian team ever assembled, and as such the expectations for this World Cup are far different than at previous competitions.
Basketball: Supercup, Canada - Germany, Final, edel-optics.de Arena. Canada's players stand together for a photo with the winner's trophy.
Should Canada secure a top-two finish amongst teams from the Americas at the World Cup, the team will have secured a quota to next summer's Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Olympics.com takes look at Canada's roster and schedule for the upcoming World Cup, as well as information on how to watch their live games.
Canada's roster is as follows:
Canada have been drawn in Group H, where their toughest opponents will likely be Tokyo 2020 silver medallists France. Canada, ranked 15th in the world, will also face Lebanon (43) and Latvia (29) in addition to Les Bleus (5).
Friday, 25 August
Sunday, 27 August
Tuesday, 29 August
Action will be available to watch in selected territories via FIBA's streaming service Courtside 1891 Basketball. Fans in Canada can watch the team in action exclusively on Sportsnet and stream live via SN NOW.
Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.