Darrell Davis: Too many selfish Canadian NBA players

Shame on those Canadian NBA players who didn’t represent their country at an Olympic qualifying tournament in China.

Canadians comprise the second-biggest group of nationalities in the NBA, behind the obviously large contingent from the U.S.A. There could be 19 Canadians on NBA rosters this coming season, yet only two were on the squad that lost to Australia and Lithuania. The excuses for not attending were pitiful.

Give credit to the players who did join the Canadian roster from their respective pro teams scattered around the globe: One came directly after his wedding and another missed the birth of a child while at the tournament, although he watched via the Internet. They appreciate the fact that Canada Basketball has played some role in their development. If it weren’t for Canada’s amateur sports organizations, which set up high-performance programs for elite athletes, very few of those guys would be earning millions as professionals.

Canada Basketball arranged everything, including hiring a coaching staff led by Nick Nurse, an American who just led the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title. There are four more tournaments where Canada can earn a berth in the Olympics; four more chances for some selfish Canadians to show that their country matters.