Heading into the 2024 Olympics, Canada appeared poised to play for a medal in basketball. Its 10 current NBA players made up the most of any team outside the United States — with the trio of Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — so naturally high expectations were placed on the roster, even if it hadn’t qualified since 2000.

Things appeared to be going the right way for Canada, as they went 3-0 in the group stage, beating three tough teams in Australia, Greece and Spain. Gilgeous-Alexander lived up to his superstar billing as the team’s unrivaled leader, while the supporting cast, including Thunder teammate Lu Dort, mostly came on to play.

But the quarterfinals quickly brought disaster to the schedule on Tuesday, as Canada was paired with host France, led by three talented NBA players of their own: Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier.

Despite Wembanyama struggling with just seven points on two of 10 shooting and Gobert being sent to the bench, France still came out strong, outscoring Canada 23-10 in the first quarter and never looking back the rest of the game en route to an 82-73 victory. Fournier scored 15 points off the bench, while Geuerschon Yabuslee and Isaia Cordinier combined for 42 points in the starting five.

The 42-25 free throw attempt differential was a clear disadvantage for Canada, but it wasn’t the only problem. Their offense was, simply put, abysmal. There was almost no ball movement, they played at a slow, sluggish pace and they struggled to make 5 of 21 shots from beyond the three-point line. After the game, head coach Jordi Fernandez called it “our most selfish game,” and for good reason.

Both Murray and Dillon Brooks were completely negative on the court for Canada, which has been an issue in previous games, especially for the Denver Nuggets point guard. He scored seven points on a 3-of-13 shooting night in the loss, not much different than his past performances.

Besides Barrett, Gilgeous-Alexander was the only player who showed up to play yesterday. He finished his first Olympic series with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block on 9 of 19 shots, another game that lived up to his high standards. He was one of the few consistent spots for Canada in Paris, but despite his best efforts to come back from yesterday’s match, beating France proved too much.

That said, the relatively disappointing end to Canada’s run shouldn’t take away from what was a huge step forward for the program. The playoffs were a win in and of themselves, and with so much Canadian talent coming into the NBA, the future looks bright. On top of that, they still have a solid No. 1 pick who is only 26 years old and not many other countries have.

Gilgeous-Alexander showed exactly who Oklahoma City has become accustomed to over the years, this time on the world stage. The changing style of play of the Olympics was not a challenge for him to overcome, and he showed little sign of struggling to adapt. Despite having one of the largest workloads of any player, the pressure has not stopped him from performing to his MVP-level standards.

Canada’s inexperience and immaturity were undoubtedly a big factor in their downfall. To win at the Olympic level you have to be at your best against opponents from all over the world and they failed to do that against France. That falls on every player on the roster, including Gilgeous-Alexander.

“They are the best basketball players in the world, so it’s a very difficult tournament, the most difficult one,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the defeat. “When you get to the knockout round, everything becomes a little bit more important. I think we’ll be more prepared for that next time.”

Canada learned a lot in 2024. It may not have lived up to the lofty expectations set going into the Olympics, but gaining that experience will go a long way in shaping a stronger run in 2028. Some players on the roster will be back, some won’t, but one thing is for sure, Gilgeous-Alexander will take the lead in Los Angeles.

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