Thunder’s Lu Dort to tryout for Team Canada this summer

Oklahoma City guard Luguentz Dort, who's playing the best basketball of his short career, said following Sunday's game that he plans to tryout for Team Canada this summer

Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort is currently playing the best basketball of his career.

This summer, he’s hoping to replicate that play for Team Canada in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and eventually the Olympics.

“Team Canada, yeah I’m looking to tryout and try and make the team for this summer and to compete for the Olympics.” Dort said after a 26-point performance against the Raptors on Sunday night. “

Dort would be a welcome addition to Team Canada, averaging 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists with OKC to go along with his stingy defense. Should health permit, he could play alongside Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hails from Toronto, on Team Canada.


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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helping from the sideline


Sunday night’s Thunder-Raptors game was unique in the fact that Dort, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch were all raised in Montreal.

“Me, Khem [Birch] and Chris [Boucher], we all have different backgrounds,” Dort said. “We’re all from Montreal but we went different places, we all had different routes. So, it’s not easy getting to this point and this level. But I know a lot of kids are gonna do it, they just gotta work hard.”

Other notable current Canadian NBA players include Nickeil Alexander-Walker, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Cory Joseph, Jamal Murray, Tristan Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins.

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is the current national team coach.

The Canadian national team has only medaled once in its history, a silver in the 1936 Games in Berlin.


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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek is the Publisher for InsideTheThunder.com and Draft Digest for Fan Nation, powered by Sports Illustrated. He has been a sports writer in the Oklahoma City market for five years now, primarily covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA Draft.