If you’ve been paying attention, it’s apparent that the growth of the NBA game has contributed to the overall interest in the sport globally over the last 18-20 years. The popularity of the NBA has spread worldwide so much so that the last four MVP trophies have gone to players born outside of the NBA (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic).

If there’s a country that has exported the most NBA players in the last decade, Canada has to be near that top of that list. In fact, you could fill out two full rosters from Canadian NBA players that are currently active in the league. We scanned the list of 24 Canadian players and found you could put together a really good NBA franchise.

Our All-Canada NBA Team

These Canadian NBA All-Stars could be led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is sitting near the top of the league in scoring with the likes of Luka Doncic, Steph Curry and Joel Embid. Joining SGA in the starting lineup would be former #1 pick Andrew Wiggins, Nuggets star Jamal Murray, Knicks small forward R.J. Barrett, and Kelly Olynyk providing size and shooting from the center position. That starting five would definitely compete for a Playoff spot.

But what makes this Team NBA Canada impressive is the depth. Filling out the 12-man active roster of NBA Canadian players are:

If you’re more than a casual fan, you recognize that every one of the above players are contributing to their current teams and getting minutes every night. Because of that, we had to make a tough decision in leaving off well-known role Canadian players like Dwight Powell, Cory Joseph, Andrew Nembhard, and Trey Lyles off our 12-man squad.

How Did Canada Become An NBA Hotbed?

So what made Canada, Betway recently held an interview with former NBA Canadian player Will Njoku to talk about the growth of the game in Canada and Njoku partially credits general interest in the game and how social media helps develop players.

“There’s just so many many platforms where people can discover you. Back then, if you didn’t have a tape circulating or the connections to get your name out there, you wouldn’t have been known.” said Njoku. “Now, if you’re 12 to 14 years old and you’ve got potential, you’re going to be discovered somehow. With these bigger platforms like social and digital media to showcase yourself, it’s easier.”

You also have to have the physical talents, and Njoku speaks to that, too. “I also think the talent has grown tremendously, because there are so many more kids playing now and so many more resources available to help them become better players and athletes. More people playing with more skill means better competition, and more competition only continues to push the game forward.”

All-Time Best Canadian NBA Team?

So with the explosion of younger Canadians in the NBA, we can’t forget about the ones that created the path for players like Mathurin, Barrett, Sharpe, Duarte and Nembhard. Our all-time team with players that originated from Canada would most-obviously include former two-time MVP Steve Nash.

Following Nash would be NBA champions Tristan Thompson and Rick Fox. And since the team needs some size in the middle, we would add both former NBA All-Star Jamaal Magloire as well as Samuel Dalembert to the team. The rest would be a mix of our current team. Our all-time Canadian NBA team would look like this (with the first five being our starters).

Nash and SGA would form a very potent backcourt with Wiggins and Fox providing three point shooting for when Nash and SGA drive. Fox, Wiggins and Jamal Magloire are all very good defenders so they could help to hold down the paint. If you needed to spread the floor, you could start Olynyk for Magloire. The bench would see Jamal Murray, Mathurin, Barrett, Dort and Olynyk filling out our deep 10-Canadian rotation with Dalembert and Brooks at the ready.