Overview

Discover the untold story of Canadian men’s basketball, from Steve Nash’s 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 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a new generation of stars propel Canada back to international glory. When Steve Nash led an underdog Team Canada to 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 basketball’s 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, basketball journalist Oren Weisfeld uncovers the growth of Canadian basketball through the lens of Team Canada and its most influential figures, alternating between key moments in the rise of the Canadian men’s national team, innovations in the grassroots community, and profiles of Canada’s top players. Through over 100 original interviews, The Golden Generation explores the role racism played in the national team’s early struggles, how pioneers like Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson paved a new path for high schoolers to follow, 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 25 years, with a record number of 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 players 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.

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9781770417991

Table of Contents

Reviews

“Oren Weisfeld does an excellent job of weaving through the basketball landscape and taking the time to speak with the people involved in Canadian Basketball over all these years.” — Tariq Sbiet, North Pole Hoops “Oren Weisfeld has written an important book on an important subject: the trajectory of Canadian basketball ... Weisfeld captures the highs and lows of the journey, with voices from the sport's gritty past and luminous present. Essential reading for basketball fans of any country, but especially for fans of Canadian sports history.” — Michael Grange, Sportsnet

Author Information

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.

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