You had to be there.
I was one of the few lucky enough — or unlucky — to witness one of the most excruciating defeats in the history of the Canadian senior men’s basketball team.
September 11, 2015, Mexico City, if you need details.
Everyone who cared about Canadian basketball was about to raise a celebratory beer – head cold and foamy inches from hitting the hatch when they tripped over some loose laundry and fell face first into the coffee table – beer and broken glass everywhere.
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Just like that, the party is over. Canada led seven games with three minutes remaining against Venezuela, an Olympic berth on the line. They came a cavalcade of turnovers, missed shots, three miracle opponents and a phantom foul at the buzzer that made the difference in the game.
Everything that has happened since has been aimed at regaining the momentum that Canada was creating. The first wave of Canada’s golden generation looked set to compete in the 2016 Olympics after missing them in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Flash forward seven years and the Canadian men’s Olympic drought is now five Olympic cycles and counting.
So yeah, have a shot at qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 by beating Venezuela at home in Edmonton?
The prospect was sweet for Canada Basketball CEO Michael Bartlett on the phone from Alberta.
“It was nice to do it in Canada, it’s been a long time since we were able to do it at home. By doing it with this core of winter, the group that started this [qualifying] trip last November shows how well our roster consistency strategy is working and doing it against Venezuela would be good because we had some tough knocks against them,” said Bartlett, who was tasked with creating the infrastructure to support Canada’s quest for the podium and leverage the ripple effects if and when it happens.
“And there are a lot of people in the program who remember it and were part of it. We wanted this one. He was circled on the calendar.
And now they can put an “x” on it: November 10, 2022 marks the spot.
Canada got some revenge with a comprehensive 94-56 victory over Venezuela on Thursday that ended its year-long quest to qualify for the 2023 World Cup – which will be played in Japan, Indonesia and the United States. Philippines in August and September – in front of a sold-out crowd at the Flair Airlines Hangar at the Edmonton Expo Center.
Canada improved to 9-0 with three games remaining to remain the only undefeated team in qualifying while Venezuela fell to 7-2.
Canada had six players in double figures in points, led by Kassius Robertson. who had 16 on a perfect 6-of-6 shot, while two other players contributed with eight points in a perfectly balanced attack. Canada limited the visitors to 34.4% shooting and had a 20-10 lead on the offensive boards. Canada led 46-31 at halftime and opened the game with a 24-11 third quarter.
The match almost did not take place. Venezuela was late in submitting visa applications and was only allowed to travel to Canada on Wednesday. The team flew from Mexico to Vancouver on Thursday, then connected in Edmonton to land three hours before tipping.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by -15C weather – around 35C colder than in Caracas on Thursday.
Serves them well. For years, Canada has traveled to faraway places to play in hostile environments. Having the Sorels on the other foot feels good for a change.
It was also fitting that a Canadian team made up of stalwarts from the “winter core” — the group of more than 20 athletes who made themselves available for qualifying windows that NBA players can’t play — would be the one that made it. ‘did .
Canada would not have come this far without them. Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kelly Olynyk led Canada to resounding victories in the summer qualifying windows, and Canada will look to Jamal Murray and RJ Barrett and other summer core members. to join them next summer, but it’s like Robertson, Phil and Thomas Scrubb, Trae Bell-Haynes and others who have been in the lineup game after game.
Qualifying for the 32-nation World Cup is only one step, of course.
Being the first team in the Americas gives Canada a head start on planning logistics for next summer: accommodation and training camp details, exhibition games, etc. Every ounce of certainty helps.
The ultimate goal is a place in the 12-team Olympic field in Paris in 2024. The surest way for Canada to achieve this is to be among the top two teams in the Americas at the World Cup.
Failing that, there is the possibility of playing and winning one of the last chance Olympic qualifying tournaments in the summer of 2024 which will determine the final four spots on the court.
But Canada does not want to enter through the back door. Too much time, too much effort, too much money and too much hope has gone into building a program that can compete with the best in the world on the brightest stages anytime, anywhere. . It’s been proven on the women’s side and it’s been proven in age group basketball. It’s the only talent-rich senior men’s category that hasn’t been able to put everything together.
The loss in 2015 was the first in a series of heartbreaks: a narrow miss in the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2016; a disappointing 21st place finish at the 2019 World Cup, the overtime loss to the Czech Republic in the last chance Olympic qualifier in Victoria that kept Canada out of the final Summer Games in Tokyo.
It is time for Canada to make its mark.
“I get it. For people who have been on this program for a long time, they’re going to say ‘prove it,'” Bartlett explains. “Well, the World Cup gives us a chance to say prove it before we go to the Olympics. and prove it again.”
“…Nothing would be better than giving the county a reason to rejoice,” Bartlett says. “It’s the coolest thing ever.”
The Canadian men’s team came close to another big step on Thursday and crushed an old demon in the process.
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”