Canadian basketball stars Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dillon Brooks expressed their admiration for Canada's soccer team during a media availability on Monday, June 29, 2026, in Toronto, as the national basketball team began training camp.
Basketball players inspired by soccer success
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current NBA MVP from Hamilton, Ontario, said watching Canada's soccer team at the FIFA World Cup has been inspiring. 'Watching their games, their success, it’s been inspiring to see the growth of that program and where it’s come from in just a short amount of time, the growth of the players,' he said. 'It’s been inspiring. It’s been fun, and makes you proud to be Canadian.'
Dillon Brooks, a Mississauga native who plays for the Phoenix Suns, has taken a particular interest in the team. Canada beat South Africa 1-0 on Sunday with a thrilling extra-time goal to advance to the Round of 16. 'I’ve been to a couple games, I went to Toronto, went to Vancouver (to see Canada’s first two matches),' Brooks said. 'I know they’re probably ecstatic for the success that they had, and support is fully here throughout the whole country, no matter what. And I can’t wait to see who they play next in the next round.'
Canada's World Cup journey and basketball connection
Canada will face the winner of the Morocco vs. Netherlands match scheduled for Monday night. Ryan Nembhard, from Aurora, Ontario, who just completed his rookie NBA season, revealed he played soccer before switching to basketball full-time. 'Stopped, like, eighth grade, right before high school. Kind of made that decision but yeah, big fan, shout to Canada,' Nembhard said.
Even non-soccer fans like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a Toronto native and guard for the Atlanta Hawks, are jumping on the bandwagon. 'I don’t know much about soccer, but I support Canada. That’s pretty much it,' Alexander-Walker said.
Upcoming basketball World Cup qualifiers
The Canadian men's basketball team is set to play home FIBA World Cup qualifying games on Friday and Monday, both in Hamilton. The basketball World Cup will take place in Qatar next August. The basketball players' support for the soccer team highlights a shared sense of national pride as both programs aim for international success.
