JAKARTA, Indonesia (Aug. 24, 2023) – The FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023 has almost arrived.

The action tips off on Friday, Aug. 25 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Group Phases will be played in these three locations while the Final Phase will be played in the Philippines capital city of Manila. The tournament will see 32 of the best teams in the world playing 92 games over 16 days with the tournament concluding on Sept. 10. Canada enters the tournament as the 15th ranked team in the world.

Representing the red and white: Canada announced their final 12-player roster on Wednesday with NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) leading the way. Canada has seven NBA players suiting up for the World Cup including Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), RJ Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kelly Olynyk (Utah Jazz) and Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks). 

Only the United States and Australia have more NBA players on their  World Cup rosters. Joining the NBAers are Kyle Alexander, Trae Bell-Haynes, Zach Edey, Melvin Ejim and Phil Scrubb. This will be the second World Cup for Team Captain Olynyk, as well as Ejim and Scrubb.

“With this team, we’ve assembled a group of players which we believe can compete with any team in the world," said Team Canada head coach Jordi Fernández. Every time we step onto the court, I know that they will proudly represent Canada, and I truly hope fans in Canada will show them the support and admiration they deserve because we have an opportunity to do something special for the country.”

Manning the sideline: This will be the first FIBA event with Senior Men’s National Team head coach Jordi Fernández at the helm after the team announced his hiring at the end of June. Nate Bjorkgren (associate head coach) and Nathaniel Mitchell (assistant coach) will join him on the sideline. 

“With this team, we’ve assembled a group of players which we believe can compete with any team in the world."

‍Kicking things off: Canada will begin their World Cup quest by facing France on Friday, Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia. France enters the tournament ranked fifth in the world. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medallists have some familiar names to NBA fans as Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum will be suiting up for France at the World Cup, as well as veteran Nando de Colo. The veteran squad also features Guerschon Yabusele and Mustapha Fall from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games roster.

“Obivously they have a lot of talent, a lot of experience, they’re well coached,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re a good team. It’s going to be a good competition.”

The meeting with France will also feature Knicks teammates, as Barrett RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier facing off, as well as Minnesota Timberwolves teammates Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Rudy Gobert.

Leading with defence: Canada is looking to send a message at this year’s World Cup after finishing 21st in 2019. The talent and depth of this year’s roster helped the team to an 11-1 record through pre-qualifying games where Canada was the first team to clinch a spot in the 2023 Men’s Basketball World Cup.

Fernández expects the team’s defensive identity to be leading the way in Jakarta. From the early days of training camp back in Toronto at the beginning of August, he challenged the team to be the top defensive squad at the World Cup.

“If we don’t have the goal to be the best defensive team in the tournament – and if I’m not wrong that would be the best defensive team in the world — we would be selling ourselves short. That’s how I feel. We are good enough. I’m not going to shy away from saying it. These guys are good enough on the defensive end to be No. 1 and that’s going to help us win games," said Fernan

After finishing a five-game exhibition schedule with a 3-2 record – winning all three games where their starters played extended minutes, including overtime victories against Germany and No. 1 ranked Spain – Fernández praised the defensive intensity of Lu Dort and Dillon Brooks.

“It starts with guys like Dillon [Brooks] and Lu Dort,” Fernández said. “They embrace defence. That sets the tone for everybody else and we can take it to a whole different level. Obviously we have more defenders behind them, but those two guys are amazing. They embrace doing that, they like [playing defence] and playing physical. They set the tone for us.”

“If we don’t have the goal to be the best defensive team in the tournament – and if I’m not wrong that would be the best defensive team in the world — we would be selling ourselves short. "

Ready to go: Though this will be the first World Cup for much of Canada’s roster, the team has spent the past month together, building chemistry and familiarity. The team has managed to fit in a training camp, the five-game exhibition schedule and a final week of preparations in Indonesia all in the past month and now, finally, they get to begin their World Cup experience. 

While winning is always the goal, Gilgeous-Alexander shared the game plan that will take the team into Friday’s match-up against France. 

“Play to our identity,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Sportsnet. “Play hard, play fast, be aggressive on both sides of the ball. Just try to get better every day. Hopefully by the end of the tournament we’ll be the best version of ourselves.”

Fernández echoed Gilgeous-Alexander’s take on the team improving as they go.

“We’re not afraid of anybody,” Fernández said. “We know how good we are. We know at this point, but also we know how good we can be. I think the later you play us, the better we will be, so we will be a team that grows throughout the preparation and grows throughout the tournament.

‘[The guys] tell me every day that they’re ready to work and they’re ready to compete,'' Fernández continued. “I believe in them and that’s why I feel good.”

Group H: Canada is in Group H alongside France, Latvia and Lebanon. The World Cup begins with a group phase where each team will face the other three teams in their group with the top two advancing to the second round. The results from the three games played by each team in the Group Phase will carry over into the second round where each team will play against the two teams they did not face in the previous round, with the top two teams once again advancing to the medal round.

What's on the line: A top-two finish amongst teams from the Americas at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023 would directly qualify Canada for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Group Phase schedule: Canada will face France on Friday, Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT, Lebanon on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 5:45 am ET / 2:45 a.m. PT, and Latvia on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT.

Where to watch: Fans in Canada can catch every Team Canada game live as it happens on Sportsnet as well as streaming live on SN Now in Canada. Fans abroad can cheer on Team Canada via Courtside 1891.