With 'nothing to lose,' Steve Sir leads a hungry Canada into 3x3 basketball World Cup

A dejected Steve Sir stood on a basketball court with his Canadian teammates on June 12, 2018 following a quarterfinal loss in the team's FIBA 3x3 World Cup debut in Manila, Philippines.

Sir has played basketball since he was six years old and was an NCAA standout at Northern Arizona, but he was green when it came to the fast-paced 3x3 format played on a smaller court with fewer players than the traditional five-on-five game.

The Netherlands scored four points in 80 seconds on that June day for an 18-16 victory in a 10-minute contest that included five lead changes. Canada held a 16-15 edge with 73 seconds remaining on the clock.

"The semifinals were right there for us. Knowing that you are an inch away from a chance to play for a medal for your country, those aren't opportunities you get every day," Sir recalled last week. "It was heartbreaking not to take the next step."

Seven years later, Canada will have another chance at a World Cup medal when 20 teams gather in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the ninth edition starting June 23. Sir is the lone returning member of the squad, which opens pool play the next day against European powerhouse Austria and then China, which captured an Asia Cup silver medal in March.

WATCH | Canada eliminated in quarterfinals of 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup;

Canada falls to the Netherlands in quarter-final action at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Manila

With family and friends watching back home in Edmonton, Sir expects the sweat, anticipation and nervousness to return when he's introduced for the Austria matchup with teammates Grant Audu, Jérôme Desrosiers and Alex Johnson.

Representing Canada and wearing the family name on his back has been a lifelong dream for Sir.

"One of my favourite Christmas