The U19 men’s national basketball team achieved a goal that Canada has been itching for since, well, the beginning of basketball. Although it was a Canadian who invented the sport, Canadians have yet to make their mark on the world stage. Until July 9, that is, when our U19 team beat Italy 79–60 to win the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Cairo. They beat the two-time reigning champs, United States, 99–87 in the semis. Half of the players hail from Toronto or the GTA, including Danilo Djuricic and R. J. Barrett. Barrett led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds and was named tournament MVP. This could be the beginning of many top Canadian finishes as these boys join the ranks of local NBA stars such as Tristan Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
