The Golden Generation: How Canada Became a Basketball Powerhouse

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Discover the untold story of Canadian mens basketball, from Steve Nashs breakthrough at the 2000 Olympics to two decades of struggle, controversy, and missed opportunity. The Golden Generation follows the Canadian basketball journey from obscurity to resurgence as a new generation of NBA stars, like Andrew Wiggins and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, propel Canada back to international glory.

When Steve Nash led underdog Team Canada to the quarterfinals of the 2000 Olympics, many assumed the golden age of Canadian basketball was at hand. Instead, it took 24 years for the Canadian men to get back to international basketballs biggest stage, with a wave of immigration pushing the sport into every corner of the country and a new generation of superstars blossoming into household names. How did we get here And why did it take so long

In The Golden Generation, sports journalist Oren Weisfeld uncovers the growth of Canadian basketball through the lens of Team Canada and its most influential figures, alternating between chronicling key moments in the rise of the Canadian mens national team and profiling key figures in the grassroots basketball landscape. Through over 100 original interviews with athletes, coaches, and behind-the-scenes power brokers, The Golden Generation explores the role racism played in the national teams early struggles, how pioneers like Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson paved a new path for high schoolers to follow before Jamal Murray recreated it, the enigma that is Andrew Wiggins, and the backstories of the core group of players that brought Canada back to the Olympics, including superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Canadian basketball has come a long way over the past two decades, with a record 24 current NBA players, a sophisticated grassroots infrastructure, and a top-ranked national team. But many trailblazers had to take their hits to lay the foundation for the current generation to thrive. The Golden Generation puts all the pieces and players together to explain how Canada became a basketball country with a bright future ahead.

Author Bio

Oren Weisfeld is a writer based in Toronto. He covers Canadian basketball and the intersection of sports and politics for publications including The Guardian, Toronto Star, VICE, SLAM, Complex, Sportsnet, and Yahoo!. This is his debut book.