Team USA began its quest for the gold medal in men’s basketball Wednesday evening, defeating Team Canada by a score of 86-72. The Americans will boast a stacked roster full of some of the best talent the NBA has to offer.

Players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid will be tasked with bringing home the honor of being champions at the Olympics. While Team USA does have a massive advantage over the rest of the competition, some opponents shouldn’t be taken as lightly as others. The rest of the world has gotten better in terms of talent, and they could give the Americans a run for their money.

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The top team in terms of competition for Team USA is likely Canada, which has a fairly stacked roster as well. The Canadians’ roster might be the second-best among the qualified teams, and the Americans won’t be able to take them lightly.

In the exhibition matchup against the United States on Wednesday, Canada was able to do some damage, even if the game was out of reach the majority of the time. Its roster, while not as star-studded as Team USA, does consist mostly of active NBA players. Canada only has two non-active NBA players on its roster.

The Canadians are headlined by star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They also have guard Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, guard Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets, guard Luguentz Dort of the Thunder, forward RJ Barrett of the Toronto Raptors, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Minnesota Timberwolves, guard Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers, and center Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, among others.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the runner-up to Nikola Jokic in the MVP race this past season. Murray recently won a title with the Nuggets. He has shown over the years that he has the clutch gene, something that might be needed in tight games within this competition.

Canada finished third in the FIBA World Cup last summer with its core group, and brought back eight players from that team. Olynyk was among the players on the roster and expressed how important of a milestone it was for the group.

“Leading our Senior Men’s National Team into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is an incredible honor,” Olynyk said. “Since I began playing basketball, my dream has always been to represent Canada at the Olympics. Last year’s third-place finish at the FIBA World Cup was an important step, proving that we belong among the world’s best teams. However, it also showed us that we still have work to do as we pursue our ultimate goal of winning gold in Paris.”

Canada has versatility within its roster, and will use this to overpower opponents throughout the Olympics. While the Americans are the favorites to win the gold, and rightfully so, don’t sleep on Team Canada.

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