Team Canada To Talk FIBA

Canada Basketball, after qualifying for the FIBA World Basketball championships on three different levels, have recently been holding a string of press conferences to keep the consciousness. Last week it was the Men’s Cadet team (under 17) at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and this week it is the Men’s Senior team holding court for the media at the Air Canada Centre. The women have qualified for both categories as well, in addition to both men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the Junior (under 18) division.

For the Senior Men’s team, the biggest brand of the bunch, the FIBA tournament is the next step in trying to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The championship event features 24 countries divided into four six-team Groups. Canada has been designated to Group D, which includes France, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand and powerhouse Spain.

Despite their success in Puerto Rico last year at the FIBA Americas championship tournament the Canadian team is a young bunch. Adding some more NBA grit has always been a priority for the program and is essential for them to make waves in a deep international pool of talented teams. Names like Steve Nash, Jamaal Magloire and American transplant Matt Bonner have made the regular rounds and with scorer Rowan Barrett now retired, veteran leadership is lacking as well. Much of that comes from their head coach Leo Rautins, the former professional player and television personality who has guided this unlikely bunch through both talent and financial shortages.

Rautins, who two years ago cut NBAer Samuel Dalembert for his squad over philosophical differences, has go to know how vital it is to have some NBA blood on the floor. While Nash has mostly stepped back from the program Rautins has been at him to give him one last run. Magloire, who has refused to suit up for Team Canada in the past, seems more open to the idea than ever. Joel Anthony of the NBA’s Miami Heat is really the team’s only fully committed major leaguer, which won’t be enough in the long-term against the world’s best.