by sportswriters He Leijing, Lu Xiaoping and Wang Aona
JAKARTA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Discussing traditional powerhouses on the international basketball stage, Canada would be barely mentioned, but this young and talented squad is the real deal.
Led by NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who notched a game-high 27 points plus 13 rebounds, Canada trounced European powerhouses France 95-65 on the opening day of the FIBA World Cup on Friday.
On his World Cup debut, Gilgeous-Alexander was in immense form after halftime and dazzled the crowd in the Indonesia Arena with his tough shots and slick finishes at the rim, turning the game into a lopsided one in the third quarter.
"I'm not surprised that we played really good basketball. We know that when we do the right thing and play to our identity, we can beat anyone in the world," said the Oklahoma City Thunder guard after the game.
"We just need to continue to get better and the sky is the limit," he added.
The 25-year-old may have very much revealed how ambitious this Canada side can be, as it is a rare thing to see Olympic silver medalists France get bludgeoned to such an extent.
Historically, Canada have not really proved themselves in previous editions of the World Cup, with a combined 4-11 record in their last three appearances, and also missing out in 2006 and 2014.
Their roster this year, even without Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins, is stacked with talent, including seven NBA players.
"We are very talented. Let me say it again, very very talented, and the most important thing is that these guys are relentless and our growth will be there throughout the tournament. We can still be way better," said Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Fernandez told Xinhua that his side's strength lies in their physicality and the way they run the floor. "It would not make sense at this point to play half-court basketball against the best programs in the world when we are very good at running and running over people," he said.
"I think the most important game of your life is your next game. We haven't done anything. I haven't been an Olympic head coach and SGA hasn't played in the Olympics, so we know why we are here for. My guys can win the whole thing, and I just know we'll be very competitive."
The head coach said that their goal is not just to qualify for the Olympics or fight for a gold medal, but to prove in the next ten years how good they can be as a program.
"I believe we can get the championship. We have a lot of guys on this team that are hungry, talented, and they ultimately just want to win," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who has the opportunity to be the face and leader of this new generation of Canadian basketball.
"You guys can see here, a guy that's going to be the MVP of this World Cup," said Fernandez of Gilgeous-Alexander.
"He's a great leader, he's vocal and talks a lot," said Canada's Dillon Brooks. "He understands to get his teammates involved and then he has the size as a point guard that not a lot of point guards have in this type of game. He's relentless." ■
