Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the only Canadian thriving on NBA Finals stage

USA Today

2 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS — The rise of basketball in Canada is not a secret nor a surprise given the institutional investment.
For two decades, steady growth has elevated the sport to the point where Canada is a medal contender in major men's international competitions and where Canadians are among the best players in the NBA, winning major awards and starring in the 2025 NBA Finals.
A record-tying four Canadians are playing the Finals led by 2024-25 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. For the first time in the Finals, three Canadians – Gilgeous-Alexander and teammate Lu Dort and the Indiana Pacers' Andrew Nembhard – are starting, and Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin is a key reserve.
"I played against Andrew when I was 9 years old. It's been an amazing journey," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "To see him having success, my own success, obviously Lu's success, Ben's success, it's special. It's hard to even wrap your head around just kids that – there's so many kids that played in the same games that we played. For us to make it to this stage, is a testament to our hard work, our character, people around us that helped us get here."
Twenty-one Canadian players were on opening-day rosters in 2024-25, marking the 11th consecutive season that Canada was the most represented country outside of the U.S.
Who are the four Canadians playing the 2025 NBA Finals?
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander, a three-time All-NBA selection, won his first MVP this season after averaging a career-high 32.7 points and 6.4 assists. He also had 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 block per game and shot 51.9% from the field, 37.5% on 3-pointers and 89.8% on free throws as the Thunder posted a league-best 68 victories.
He has continued that success in the playoffs. He was the MVP of the Western Conference finals and is off to a great start in the NBA Finals, scoring 38 points in Game 1 and 34 points in Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points in 13 of 18 playoff games, including 30 or more in nine of this past 10 games.
His is the first Canadian to win MVP since Steve Nash in 2006 and he could become the first Canadian to win Finals MVP.
"Steve obviously is just a pioneer for Canadian basketball," Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'He started the whole thing, I guess you can say. From the way he plays, to the way he carries himself, to his approach to the game, like, I learned so much from Steve being a 17-year-old kid in two weeks of time that helped me get here for sure.
"The things he's done with Canada basketball as a whole and just pushing the culture forward is just amazing."
Oklahoma City forward-guard Lu Dort
Dort earned first-team All-NBA defensive honors after helping the Thunder to the league's top-rated defense. Often guarding the opponent's top perimeter player, Dort averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals during the regular season.
A large part of Dort's defensive assignment in the Finals is guarding Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton.
"Just shows how there's a lot of talent there (in Canada)," Dort said. "Every time we sacrifice our summer to play with the national team, it prepares us for the whole season. I'm happy that there's a lot of Canadians on this stage right now."
Indiana guard-forward Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard has been a key contributor the Pacers' playoff success the past two seasons, and in this season's playoffs, he is averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 assists and shooting 46.7% from the field and 45.7% on 3-pointers. Last season, he scored a playoff career-high 32 points against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals, and this season, he recorded a 23-point game against Cleveland and 20-point game against Milwaukee.
"It's good for the young guys looking up," said Nembhard whose brother, Ryan, is a potential second-round pick in the June draft. "When I was young, I was looking up to players in the league and seeing the possibility of me playing there and it was always inspiring."
Indiana guard-forward Bennedict Mathurin
Off the bench, Mathurin, in his third season, is one of six Pacers players averaging double-digits in scoring in the playoffs at 10.3 points. During the regular season, he averaged 16.1 points and shot a career-high 45.8% from the field.
Mathurin has had three 20-point games in the playoffs, including 20 in Indiana's Game 4 victory against New York in the Eastern Conference finals. He had 14 points in Indiana's Game 2 loss against Oklahoma City.