Measuring the Impact of Oregon Ducks' Dillon Brooks on Canadian Basketball in Paris Olympics

Dillon Brooks of the Oregon Ducks has helped bring back Canadian basketball to relevancy. The last time that Canada even competed in the Olympics was back in Sydney in 2000, when Steve Nash was the face of the country.

Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; France point guard Frank Ntilikina (1) fights to control the ball against Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and small forward Dillon Brooks (24) in the second quarter in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

As much as it's been noted that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player to come out of Canada currently, Dillon Brooks of the Oregon Ducks has been the most memorable during international play, in part due to his helpful antics.

His stare downs reach into the soul of his opponent. Brooks continued to get under the skin of his opponents during the entirety of his stay in the Paris Olympics.

His play on the court was reliable as well. He was a threat as a spot-up shooter and a lockdown defender while guarding the best player on the opposing side. Through four games, Brooks finished with averages of 11.3 points per game on 40.5 field goal percentage and 46.2 three-point percentage, 3.8 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game and 1.0 steals per game. The FIBA version of the Oregon Duck is better than any other version of himself.

Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; Canada small forward Dillon Brooks (24) shoots against France in the first quarter in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Canadians did end up coming out on top of Group A, or the "Group of Death", with Australia, Greece and Spain, by going 3-0 in pool play. It's worth noting that none of those teams ended up medaling. After falling to France in the quarterfinals, Canada placed fifth in the Paris Olympics.

Brooks has brought toughness to the Canadian basketball organization and inspired the youth of his country. The future of Canadian basketball is still bright as long as the former Duck is apart of it. He's only 28 years old, so we should see him competing in the next two to three Olympics. The 2028 Olympics will be in his country's continent of North America, specifically Los Angeles.

He may be a villain in the NBA, but it's a necessary evil when it comes to international basketball with Canada.