Hamilton’s TD Coliseum to feature Shai Gilgeous-Alexander court for Canada’s FIBA qualifiers

By Liam Tremblay — 30 June 2026 — 3 min read

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time NBA MVP, is set to play for Canada in two upcoming FIBA Americas qualifying games at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum. The arena will feature a basketball court designed in his honour, debuting this week as Hamilton hosts the qualifiers. Gilgeous-Alexander became an investor in TD Coliseum earlier this year, supporting the growth of his hometown as a sports and entertainment destination.

The Canadian men’s basketball team is preparing for two crucial qualifying matches. They will face Puerto Rico on Friday and Jamaica on July 6. These games are part of their campaign to qualify for the 2027 Basketball World Cup. Canada currently leads Group B with a perfect 4-0 record, with these two games remaining in the qualifying stage. While Canada is in a strong position to advance to the second round, seeding remains important, with Brazil and Uruguay also holding 4-0 records, and Mexico and Chile at 3-0.

Gilgeous-Alexander expressed his commitment to playing for his country, stating that representing Canada was a childhood dream. He emphasized that he takes every opportunity to play for the national team. Despite a demanding NBA season that saw him average 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a lengthy playoff run to the Western Conference final, he affirmed his readiness to play for Canada.

Team Canada’s Roster and Motivation

Gilgeous-Alexander is joined on the Canadian roster by his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a guard for the Atlanta Hawks, and Dillon Brooks, a small forward for the Phoenix Suns. Both Alexander-Walker and Brooks also had playoff runs with their respective NBA teams. Brooks, whose Suns were eliminated by Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, will co-captain the team alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. Alexander-Walker, who had a career season and earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award, highlighted the commitment involved in playing for the national team, especially in front of a home crowd.

The 16-player roster for the two qualifying games was announced by Canada Basketball general manager Rowan Barrett and head coach Gordie Herbert. In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, Brooks, and Alexander-Walker, the team includes Charles Bediako, Aaron Best, Khem Birch, Marcus Carr, Kyshawn George, Mfiondu Kabengele, Thomas Kennedy, Leonard Miller, Andrew Nembhard, Ryan Nembhard, Kassius Robertson, Jackson Rowe, and Kyle Wiltjer.

Coach Herbert stressed the importance of developing a team mentality among the elite individual players. He noted that this process takes time and is what they are focusing on starting now, building on previous efforts. General Manager Barrett encouraged Canadian basketball fans to attend the games, emphasizing the rare opportunity for the national team to play on home soil and urging the public to fill the stadium.

Inspiration from Canadian Soccer Success

The Canadian basketball stars have also been following the success of the Canadian men’s national soccer team. Gilgeous-Alexander, Brooks, and Alexander-Walker all expressed inspiration from the soccer team’s advancement to the Round of 16 at the World Cup. Gilgeous-Alexander commented on the inspiring growth of the soccer program and its players in a short period, noting that it makes him proud to be Canadian.

The soccer team achieved a significant milestone by beating South Africa 1-0 in a Round of 32 match in Los Angeles, marking the first time the Canadian men have won a knockout match at the World Cup. Brooks attended two of Canada’s group-stage soccer matches in Toronto and Vancouver before joining the basketball team’s training camp. He conveyed the full support of the country for the soccer team’s achievements. Alexander-Walker, while admitting limited knowledge of soccer, affirmed his support for Canada.

The basketball team’s training camp commenced ahead of these two qualifying games, with the players drawing motivation from the national soccer team’s performance. The upcoming games against Puerto Rico and Jamaica will be held at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum, with the first match scheduled for Friday.

Source: cp24.com