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.
Canada falls to the Netherlands in quarter-final action at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Manila
7 years ago
Duration 0:48
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 gifts was getting the book Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA when I was a teenager," Sir remembered while speaking with CBC Sports recently. "A heavy part of that book was Steve [the two-time NBA MVP and Hall of Famer] talking about what it meant to play for Canada and how it was a lifelong dream. It left a major impression on me.
"My big dream was playing Division 1 [college basketball] in the [United] States, but my apex was always getting the chance to play for Canada."
Wearing a red zip-up top with "Canada" written in white lettering above his heart, Sir added the support from home during the 2018 World Cup has "kept me motivated, kept me playing and pursuing. It was a special feeling."
From 2007 through 2016, Sir carved out a professional career in five-on-five basketball as an integral member of teams in Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Edmonton and Halifax.
WATCH | Steve Sir, 42, on how long he'll play 3x3 basketball:
Steve Sir discusses his love for basketball training and competing
17 hours ago
Duration 1:29
At 42, Canadian national men's 3x3 basketball player Steve Sir says he doesn't want to place a limitation on how long he will play competitively
Five years later, the six-foot-five forward tried to make Canadian Olympic 3x3 teams. Canada won its first two games at a 2021 qualifying tournament in Graz, Austria before losing two straight and didn't reach the knockout stage. Last May, Canada had a 1-2 record in pool play but didn't secure a quarterfinal berth in Debrecen, Hungary.
Now, the 42-year-old Sir is returning to the World Cup. Since 2022, he has been living in Mongolia, where he plays and coaches senior and under-23 clubs. His wife Caitlin and daughters Isabelle and Lyla live in Edmonton but have spent the majority of the past three summers in Mongolia.
Canada goes 3-0 to clinch World Cup berth
"That's the hardest part," Sir said of being separated from his family.
Canada secured one of three available World Cup spots on May 25 with a 21-12 handling of Rwanda to cap a 3-0 performance in Baku, Azerbaijan. Montenegro and Great Britain also clinched berths.
Desrosiers led Canada with seven points against Rwanda.
The Canadians took both matches a day earlier, with Sir posting eight points and Audu seven in a 21-14 win over Great Britain. Sir led the way with 10 points in a 22-7 rout of Azerbaijan.
The six-foot-four Audu, from Toronto, is in his first season with the team. His first major competition was the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup last December in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Canadian program picked up its first-ever medal, defeating Mexico and Dominican Republic for bronze.
The 27-year-old has brought an excitement and eagerness to the team, noted Sir, much the way Edmonton native Jermaine Bucknor did in 2018 as a newcomer.
"What makes me proud of a player like Grant is he's not scared of the big stage, understands the responsibility and just competes," Sir said.
In Mongolia, Canada will also face France, the 2024 Olympic silver medallists, Chile and Puerto Rico, which placed second at last year's AmeriCup.
WATCH | Sir on a model Canada can follow to develop 3x3 game:
Sir on Mongolia's blueprint to develop the 3x3 game and the model other countries should follow
17 hours ago
Duration 1:26
To develop 3x3 basketball in Canada, Sir says smaller tournaments should be held to create enthusiasm and a knowledge base for players.
The last 16 will be held June 27, followed by the quarterfinals the next day. The semifinals, third-place games and final will be contested on June 29.
"It's a tough, tough group but what a great opportunity to compete. Let's see what we can do, nothing to lose," said Sir, who was fourth in scoring at the AmeriCup and named to the men's team of the tournament.
"We shoot the ball well. We have good playmaking, experience. Jérôme [Desrosiers] has been playing on the World Tour the last few years and continues to get better. And Alex has represented Canada multiple times and his leadership is invaluable."
In 2018, there was "so much" Sir didn't know about 3x3 basketball and plenty of room for improvement.
"It's a new discipline and there's new nuances and intricacies you have to learn, not just to improve but to evolve with the sport and stay effective," he said. "Shooting has always been my strength, but I have found different ways to be effective — off the dribble, at different angles or with different footwork or fakes.
"It still fires me up every day, the things you can do within this sport to get better. It's been a fun journey."
More fun could be in store should a World Cup medal be placed around Sir's neck.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
New Blue Jays book sheds light on attempted Ohtani signing
Toronto Blue Jays brass used all the bells and whistles when they tried to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in the fall of 2023. The once-in-a-lifetime pursuit of the Japanese free agent, as author Keegan Matheson writes in his new book, 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' included taking Ohtani, his agent and interpreter at the time on a tour of the team's renovated player development complex, complete with a few special touches. Three lockers in the clubhouse were set aside for Ohtani, along with jerseys, gear, hats, bags and accessories. It was all part of an elaborate effort to sell him on the team. An impressed Ohtani — whose camp wanted total secrecy throughout the process — walked out of the Dunedin, Fla., facility with bags of team gear and a Blue Jays hat on his head, Matheson writes. Ohtani stopped to take pictures with his interpreter, who was also sporting some Toronto kit. The superstar's dog, 'Decoy,' came running out to join them in a Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him. 'I think that the presentation they gave Ohtani was incredibly impressive and they were not the No. 2 team just to be strung along and used as the other person at the bargaining table,' said Matheson. 'They were No. 2 because they almost signed him.' The behind-the-scenes colour and details from Matheson's interviews and descriptions bring an intriguing, memorable and downright surreal chapter in the team's near half-century history to life. Ohtani would eventually sign a 10-year, US$700-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a big blow for Canada's lone big-league team and its countrywide contingent of supporters. The Blue Jays would eventually sign a big fish of their own, locking up star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year extension last April worth a team record $500 million. The megadeal helped soothe any lingering pain from the Ohtani situation and also showed the franchise was willing to spend big in an effort to be a consistent contender. But that Ohtani off-season — from a bizarre Zoom call with general manager Ross Atkins to the erroneous report that Ohtani had chosen the Blue Jays and was on a plane to Toronto — was the 'strangest experience' Matheson expects to have as a reporter. 'The game that went into it was really fascinating,' Matheson said in a recent interview. 'Trying to operate in secrecy in a world where we want to know everything that's going on with your favourite team and with your favourite player. 'This was more of a TV drama and the amount of work that went into keeping it secret fascinates me.' The book also explores the team's early days, the playoff successes in the early 1990s, the near-misses in the previous decade, and many of the players — on and off the field — who made it all happen. The stories and anecdotes are not always the obvious ones. From players sipping chicken noodle soup at a frigid Exhibition Stadium, to amusing tales of manager-athlete dynamics, to the homecoming after a 670-day break between home games due to COVID-19, Matheson touches all the bases. 'Instead of asking a pitcher why he lost or asking someone why they struck out three times, this was an opportunity to ask someone, 'Hey, tell me about the best days of your life,'' said Matheson, who covers the team for 'Tell me about that memory that everyone always asks you about at the bar, at golf tournaments and coffee shops.' 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' a 302-page book published by Triumph Books, is available now at a retail price of $38.
CBC
41 minutes ago
- CBC
P.E.I. Paralympian talks about the importance of International Day of Play, recognized by UN in 2024
The United Nations officially recognized the International Day of Play last year. This year, CBC's Louise Martin caught up with P.E.I.'s gold medal-winning Paralympian and Right to Play Ambassador, Billy Bridges, about why it's important to mark this day, and how play changed the course of his life.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Halifax's permanent stadiums inch closer to becoming a reality
The push to build a new permanent outdoor stadium in downtown Halifax is gaining momentum. The city has taken a step closer to making a new venue a reality, to replace the Wanderers Grounds temporary pop-up stadium as council has decided to examine design and construction proposals. 'I see the need for a stadium, but I see the need for a proper stadium,' said Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor Patty Cuttell, who would like city planners to choose a different location to preserve the community green space and she's concerned the project may require a bigger seating plan. 'We are a growing city, and we can't undersize that stadium and we need the right size.' In its current state, the Wanderers Grounds is the home field for men's and women's professional soccer. Sellout crowds have been consistent, which has resulted in a push for a permanent facility to be built on the same site. There are potential roads blocks, with some arguing that using public land to house a stadium for professional soccer is a bad idea. 'If it should pass, I know for sure there would be a court action challenging in that decision,' said Friends of Halifax Commons board member Howard Epstein. The current pop-up stadium version of the Wanderers Grounds seats roughly 6,000 people. Saint Mary's University head football coach Steve Sumarah hopes a new stadium will have a capacity of at least 20,000, to open the door for Halifax to one day have a team in the Canadian Football League. 'If you're going to talk about a stadium, then you have to talk about all the extras with it like the CFL,' said Sumarah. 'What are the sports and the other use?' Size and space are also ongoing concerns. Some council members argue the Halifax Wanderers Grounds is too small of a footprint to build a permanent stadium and say the city should search for different locations.
