Nembhard brothers reunite to help Canada beat Jamaica 116-78 in FIBA World Cup qualifying

Andrew and Ryan Nembhard grew up playing basketball together, starting with a Little Tikes net in their family living room, but it has been more than a decade since they have played together on a competitive team.

The brothers from Aurora, Ont., are both on Canada's men's national team for the current FIBA Americas World Cup qualifying window. The Nembhards helped Canada beat Puerto Rico 110-84 on Friday and were on the court in Hamilton again on Monday against Jamaica, where they registered a 116-78 victory.

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"Seventh grade, eighth grade, we played middle school basketball together," said 26-year-old Andrew, who is three years older than Ryan. "It's going to be a lot of fun just having him around, being able to compete together on the same side of the floor."

Ryan Nembhard, fresh off his rookie season with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, has been looking forward to playing with his brother.

"First time since, like, elementary school," said Ryan. "It'll be fun. It's cool to just be out there with everybody. Great group of guys, so I'm excited."

When rookies are introduced to new teams, they're usually paired with a veteran player to show them the ropes. Andrew said he was probably Ryan's de facto veteran.

"I guess so? I feel like I'm still one of the young guys," said the older Nembhard at Canada's training camp. "He'll figure it out on the fly by watching and observing."

Andrew Nembhard impressed in Canada's rout of Puerto Rico at Hamilton's TD Coliseum with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. He was