Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among leaders of Canadian men's squad ahead of FIBA World Cup

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has come a long way from being the youngster soaking up information on the Canadian men's basketball team.

The 25-year-old Hamilton native got his first taste of the senior team in 2016 when he joined Canada for the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Manila, Philippines.

"I was really young. I didn't play a minute in a game. I was pissed about it," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters Tuesday.

"I think I learned professional basketball that year. I learned a lot of terminology, the physicality of it, the speed of it, and it for sure was a kick-start to my professional career."

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard, who broke out in 2022-23 — his fifth NBA season — with all-star and all-NBA first team honours, is now viewed as a leader and a voice on the Canadian squad.

"You guys have seen him play in the NBA right? An all-star, a guy that is leading his team and what's he done for us here, he's been the guy connecting with everybody," Canada's head coach Jordi Fernandez said Tuesday.

"He's been the guy bringing the group together and he's been a voice and I think that is very important, because as young as he is, he's showing leadership and you can lead in so many different ways and him in his own way, he's bringing this group together."

The Canadian squad is currently in training camp until Sunday at Toronto's OVO Athletic Centre in the lead-up to the FIBA Men's Basketball World Cup from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.

A top-two finish among the seven Americas teams in the 32-team tournament is good enough for Canada to earn its first Olympic berth in men's basketball since 2000, and punch a ticket to Paris 2024.

Asked of his role as a leader and having a voice, Gilgeous-Alexander was clear in stating the goal at