Photo Credits: Sue Ogrockl/Associated Press
Thunder will have a whole palette of team’s to route for during the Tokyo Olympics, Canada has just been added to that list.
As announced by Team Canada, Thunder standout guard Lu Dort has been enlisted to compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics.
Dort, age 22, showed exuberance in the thought of joining Canada’s 21-man roster — now those dreams have become reality.
“I actually want to play for Team Canada this year. I’ve never played for Team Canada so that would be cool to represent my country.”
– Lu Dort
For Dort his roots, in Canada are deeply engrained in his play, and also some connections along the way. Dort grew up in Montreal, Canada working his tail off for any opportunity — his wish was granted as after a five star evaluation, he signed with Arizona State.
His gritty style of play never left and neither did those he was close to. Dort grew up alongside Raptors bigs Khem Birch and Chris Boucher. For Dort, his six-and-seven year age gap between Birch and Boucher kept him on the sidelines, but their adjoining paths in NBA keep them in line.
“He’s the future, not only for Canada but the league… He’s gonna be a problem, Birch said. “He’s probably gonna be one of the best two-way players in the NBA. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Dort with pair alongside his neighborhood teammate in Khem Birch while in Tokyo, but his second half on the hardwood will not.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander announced on social media Wednesday evening that due to his nagging plantar fasciitis injury, he’s sitting out from Olympic play.
“I’m continuing to rehab the injury that kept me out the second half of the NBA season. “
“The team will have my full support and I look forward to continuing to represent my country in the future.“
– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
In Gilgeous-Alexander’s statement to fans, he let it be known that this decision was a difficult call to make.
SGA mentioned in last weeks exit interview that he felt his plantar fascia injury was “progressing” and if he felt like he was at 100 percent, he’d be planning on representing his country.
With Gilgeous-Alexander distant from Olympic play, Team Canada will be in search of a poster boy as bubble star Jamal Murray is also out due to a torn ACL injury.
Having an open spotlight gleaming onto Team Canada’s current roster, Lu Dort poses a grand chance to take a lead position on the roster. Outside of Dort, team Canada has a flourishing roster both new and old with names in RJ Barrett, Andrew Wiggins, Tristian Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Anthony Bennett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (SGA’s cousin), Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Clarke, and the Moses Brown stopper himself — Oshae Brissett.
The Summer Olympics are slated to run from July 23 to August 8 meaning there will be no absence of Dort tweets this summer.