After Canada's 1st men's basketball World Cup medal, Olympic podium should be next goal

For years, there were expectations.

There were games that Canada's men's basketball team should have won, Olympics it should have attended.

But those expectations were never met until the recently completed World Cup, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks led the Canadians to a bronze medal — with a win over the vaunted Americans, no less.

And so the tournament was a bit of a celebration. Yes, Canada would have preferred to win the whole thing, but its first-ever World Cup podium appearance was nothing to sneeze at.

Now comes the pressure.

In winning bronze, Canada also secured its first Olympic berth since 2000. Anything less than competing for a medal in Paris, after accomplishing that feat in Manila, could be viewed as a disappointment.

WATCH | Canada claims 1st men's basketball World Cup medal:

There will be plenty of questions about who will don the red and white next summer. After Canada's disastrous loss in Victoria two years ago, Canada Basketball formed a 14-player core to commit through Paris.

Nine of those players competed at the World Cup, with Jamal Murray the most notable absentee.

Fernandez said dedication would be rewarded as Canada picks its players for France.

"We have a great program. We have guys that are going to want to be part of it and we'll decide when the time comes but all these guys [at the World Cup] have the No. 1 ticket because they've made this happen.

"And we believe in loyalty. Obviously you come and fight for a spot but we owe a lot to those guys. If we want to build the right program, if we don't do it this way, it would not make sense."

The World Cup made clear that Canada can compete with any opponent, including signature wins over Spain — a do-or-die victory over the