If you still think Canadian basketball starts and ends with Steve Nash's hair and those old Raptors jerseys, you’ve been living under a rock. Honestly, the shift has been so fast it’s almost jarring. It wasn't that long ago that seeing a single Canadian in the starting lineup of a random Tuesday night game was a "text the group chat" event.
Now? It’s just Tuesday.
As of the start of the 2025-26 season, we’re looking at 23 NBA players from Canada on opening-night rosters. That’s the 12th year in a row that Canada has been the most-represented country outside the United States. But here’s the thing—it’s not about the quantity anymore. It’s about the fact that the guy holding the MVP trophy right now is from Hamilton, Ontario.
The SGA Era and the Death of the "Role Player" Label
For decades, the Canadian basketball "archetype" was the gritty role player. Think Todd MacCulloch or Bill Wennington—guys who worked hard, set solid screens, and maybe chipped in six points.
That era is dead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) didn't just break the ceiling; he took a sledgehammer to it.
Winning the 2024-25 NBA MVP and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship—while picking up Finals MVP along the way—changed the math. He’s currently averaging north of 31 points per game in this 2025-26 campaign, locked in a tight race with Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo for another trophy.
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What makes Shai weirdly good is that he doesn’t play like a modern highlight reel. He's not launching 35-footers every possession. He’s a "pace" merchant. He gets to his spots, plays elite defense, and honestly just makes everyone else look like they're moving in slow motion. When he dropped 54 points on the Utah Jazz in January 2025, it felt like a statement: "The best player in the world might just be Canadian."
The Heavy Hitters: More Than Just One Star
It’s easy to focus on Shai, but the depth right now is kinda ridiculous. You’ve got Jamal Murray in Denver, who is finally putting up the regular-season numbers to match his "Playoff Murray" legend. He’s hovering around 25 points and 7 assists a game right now. People forget he’s already got a ring, but he’s still chasing that elusive All-Star nod because the Western Conference guard pool is a literal bloodbath.
Then there’s the Toronto homecoming. RJ Barrett being on the Raptors just feels right. Since the trade from New York, he’s been playing with a sort of aggressive freedom we didn't always see at the Garden. He was putting up career-highs (around 21 PPG) before a recent ankle tweak sidelined him in early 2026.
And don't sleep on the "Grizzly Canucks." Memphis is basically Canada South at this point. They’ve got:
- Zach Edey: The 7-foot-4 mountain who is proving the doubters wrong by actually being mobile enough to survive NBA switches.
- Brandon Clarke: The bounce-back king who is still one of the most efficient rim-runners in the game.
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper: A high-energy wing who’s still figuring out his jumper but defends like his life depends on it.
Why the Pipeline Isn't Slowing Down
People keep asking: "Is this a golden generation or the new normal?"
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It’s the new normal. The "Vince Carter Effect" is real, but we’re now three generations removed from that. The kids coming up now, like Will Riley in Washington or the Nembhard brothers, didn't grow up wanting to be the "next Canadian NBA player." They just wanted to be the next NBA superstar.
The infrastructure in places like Mississauga, Brampton, and Montreal has caught up. You’ve got prep schools that rival anything in the States. You’ve got a national team that is a legitimate threat to win Olympic gold. When you see a guy like Bennedict Mathurin coming off the bench for Indiana and scoring 27 in a playoff game, you realize the fear factor is gone. Canadian players don't just "hope to be there" anymore.
The Stats That Actually Matter (2025-26 Season)
If you're looking for proof in the numbers, check out how these guys are impacting their teams right now:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): 31.6 PPG, 6.4 APG. He is the betting favorite for MVP again.
Jamal Murray (DEN): 25.4 PPG, 44% from three. He recently logged a career-high 17 assists in a single game against Boston.
Andrew Wiggins (MIA): Now with the Heat, he’s found a second (or third?) wind, averaging 15.8 points and playing that lockdown defense that helped Golden State win a title a few years back.
Andrew Nembhard (IND): He’s basically the IQ king of the league. He sits top-10 all-time among Canadians in assists already, and he’s not even 27 yet.
What Most People Get Wrong About Canadian Ball
There’s this lingering idea that Canadian players are "soft" or "nice." Ask Dillon Brooks about that. Or Lu Dort.
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Dort is arguably the most physically punishing perimeter defender in the league. He and Shai have turned OKC into a defensive nightmare. The "nice Canadian" trope is a myth that gets dispelled about thirty seconds after the opening tip. There is a specific kind of "chip on the shoulder" that comes from being an international player in a league that is still very much US-centric in its media coverage.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're following the trajectory of NBA players from Canada, here is what you should be watching over the next few months:
- The All-Star Break: Keep an eye on the voting. We could legitimately see three Canadians (SGA, Murray, and maybe a surging Barrett or Mathurin) involved in the festivities.
- Trade Deadline Rumors: Andrew Wiggins is constantly in the "Bucks trade interest" cycle. A move to a contender could spike his value again.
- Fantasy Basketball Tip: If you're in a keeper league, Zach Edey’s floor is much higher than people realized. His rebounding and block rate are elite for a rookie/sophomore transition.
- National Team Prep: Start looking at the roster for the next FIBA cycle. The chemistry between Shai and Jamal Murray is something the rest of the world is genuinely terrified of.
The reality is that Canada isn't just "participating" in the NBA anymore. We are at a point where the road to the Finals—and the MVP trophy—literally runs through the North.
If you're looking to keep tabs on the next wave, watch the G League rosters for guys like Ryan Nembhard and Jahmyl Telfort. The talent pool is deep, and it's only getting deeper.
Next Steps: You can track daily box scores for all active Canadians through the Canada Basketball official portal or keep an eye on the "International" filters on the NBA's advanced stats page to see how the North stacks up against the rest of the world.