Can You Identify These Canadian NBA Players?

SPORTS

By: Ashley Linkletter

7 Min Quiz

Image: NBA

About This Quiz

Since Canada has only one team in the NBA — the Toronto Raptors — it would be easy to assume that Canadians aren't interested in basketball. If the Raptors' recent 2019 NBA Finals championship win hasn't convinced you of Canada's obsession with basketball, this quiz will definitely help. While the majority of our players go on to play for American NBA teams, many Canadian pro basketball players got their start playing on high school or university teams. You may be surprised to learn that Canada has been involved with the National Basketball Association since before that was even the league's name — some of the players featured in this quiz were born as early as the 1920s! 

The past couple of decades have shown a boom in Canadian talent: the 1990s and onwards have gifted basketball fans some of the best moments and most talented players in the game. Given the fact that basketball was invented by Canadian Dr. James Naismith in 1891, no one should be shocked by the incredibly gifted players Canada has produced.

So, sports fans, let's see how much you know about Canada's proven track record with the NBA. Only the most dedicated basketball fans will be able to score enough three-pointers to win!

If you were at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame on November 8, 2014, you would have been present for this retired NBA player's induction ceremony. Who is he?

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and standing at 7 feet tall, Todd MacCulloch played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets between 1999 and 2003. Now that MacCulloch has retired from basketball, he spends his time playing competitive pinball, a game he finds similar to basketball, due to the same need for agility and hand-eye coordination.

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This NBA shooting guard was originally recruited by the Virginia Tech Hokies. What is his name?

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is currently a shooting guard for the New Orleans Pelicans. He played on the Canadian team at the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, helping the team bring home the silver medal.

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Which of the following Canadian NBA players also played for two Mediterranean leagues?

Khem Birch was born in Montreal, Quebec, on September 28, 1992. Known for being either a centre or power forward, he now plays for the Orlando Magic. Before he was drafted for the NBA, Birch played for Greek and Turkish club leagues between 2015 and 2017.

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This retired NBA centre helped Canada win the World University Games in 1983. What is the name of this former member of the Chicago Bulls?

In 2015, Bill Wennington was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame for his numerous athletic contributions to the sport. Between 1993 and 1999, he helped the Chicago Bulls win three NBA championships. He was on the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team and also on the 1992 team that missed qualifying for the Olympics.

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The NBA was only the beginning for this Canadian basketball player — he's played in leagues all over the world. What is the name of this literal globetrotter?

Kris Joseph began his professional career as a small forward for the Boston Celtics, where he played for the 2012-2013 season. Since then, he has played for leagues in France, Canada and Portugal. As of 2019, he is back in France, playing for the ADA Blois.

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Out of the following players, who got their start playing for the Michigan Wolverines?

Ignas "Iggy" Brazdeikis was born in Lithuania but grew up as a Canadian citizen. This small forward is currently playing for the Westchester Knicks, where he is on loan from the New York Knicks.

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What is the name of the Canadian NBA player who was named a consensus second-team All-American?

Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Dillon Brooks is playing as a shooting guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, as of 2019. During his time playing for the Oregon Ducks in college, Brooks was named a consensus second-team All-American, as well as earning the title of Pac-12 Player of the year.

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Which Canadian basketball player's father also played in the NBA?

Rowan Alexander Barrett Jr. (or RJ, as his fans know him) is the son of Rowan Barrett — a former professional basketball player and current general manager of the Canadian men's national team. RJ currently plays as a shooting guard and small forward for the New York Knicks.

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This player helped propel the Toronto Raptors towards a championship win in 2019. What is his name?

Chris Boucher was signed to the Toronto Raptors as a free agent during the summer of 2018, after playing for the Golden State Warriors. In 2019 he officially started playing for the Toronto Raptors, helping them win the finals against his former teammates.

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Which player recently began splitting his time between the Toronto Raptors and the Raptors 905?

Oshae Jahve Brissett was born in Toronto, Ontario, where he's right at home playing small forward for both the Toronto Raptors and the Raptors 905, a G League affiliate. Prior to playing for the Raptors, Brissett played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange.

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Do you know who the current captain of the Canadian men's national team is, as of 2019?

Cory Joseph has played for an impressive list of NBA teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, the Toronto Raptors, the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings. In 2015, Joseph became captain of the Canadian men's national team, bringing home the bronze medal in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

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Can you name this point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, point guard Shaivonte "Shai" Aician Gilgeous-Alexander played a single season with the Los Angeles Clippers, at which point he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Prior to being traded to the Clippers, Gilgeous-Alexander spent part of a day on the official roster of the Charlotte Hornets.

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What is the name of this Canadian-born power-forward who played in the NBA from 1953-1958?

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1932, Bob Houbregs grew up in Seattle, Washington. He would become the general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics between 1970 and 1973. During his tenure as a player with the NBA, Houbreg played for the Milwaukee Hawks, the Baltimore Bullets, the Boston Celtics and the Fort Wayne Pistons (which would later become the Detroit Pistons.)

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This NBA player was recently named MVP of the 2019 Summer League — what is this player's name?

Vancouver-born NBA power forward Brandon Clarke was given the title of MVP after achieving four double-doubles in the 2019 NBA Summer League. As of 2019, he plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. In college, he was a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

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He was power forward for the Orlando Magic for four seasons, but now plays for the Chinese Basketball Association. What is the name of this NBA-turned-CBA basketball player?

When Andrew Nicholson's basketball career eventually folds, he can always revert to his chosen field of study — he earned a degree in physics from St. Bonaventure University. Until then, Nicholson continues to play as a power forward for the CBA's Fujian Sturgeons team.

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Which Canadian NBA player has the unfortunate reputation of being one of the worst draft busts in NBA history?

Anthony Bennett had a rough time after being signed to the Toronto Raptors as a power forward in 2015 — not only was his enthusiasm for the game in question, he was purportedly unable to compete at the high level needed to win during NBA games.

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Do you know the name of this former Canadian player who is also known for their humanitarian work in Haiti?

In addition to being known for his shot-blocking abilities and 13 seasons playing in the NBA, Samuel Delmont was the recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his contributions to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, then moved to Montreal as a teenager.

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Which of these players has a two-way contract with Oklahoma teams?

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Luguentz Dort is a shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the NBA G League Oklahoma City Blue. Luguentz graduated from his high school, the Athlete Institute in Mono, Ontario, as one of the top players in the country.

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This player was Rookie of the Year for the 2014–2015 NBA basketball season. Who are they?

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Andrew Wiggins has had an incredibly successful career playing for the NBA, as both a shooting guard and small forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wiggins was drafted as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 — the second Canadian to be taken number one overall in NBA history.

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Who was known not only for their early contributions as a guard and small forward for the New York Knicks but also for their enthusiasm for fitness under President Gerald Ford?

Ernie Vandeweghe, who was born in 1928, played for the New York Knicks between 1949 and 1956. After his retirement from the NBA and under President Ford, Vandeweghe worked on the Olympic Sports Commission and was the chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

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This NBA player recently signed a contract extension for the Dallas Mavericks. Do you know the name of this Canadian power forward?

A former player for the Boston Celtics, Dwight Powell currently plays basketball for the Dallas Mavericks. Powell began his career playing for the Stanford Cardinals. His career high (so far) occurred on March 6, 2019, when he scored 26 points in a 132–123 point loss to the Washington Wizards.

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You're more likely to see this NBA player in the Turkish Basketball First League, although they briefly played for the New York Knicks — do you know their name?

Born in Syracuse, New York, Andrew Rautins briefly played for the New York Knicks during their 2010-2011 season. As of 2019, he plays for Bahçesehir Koleji in Turkey and has played for the Canadian men's national team. Rautins has both American and Canadian citizenship.

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Known for being a tough defender and natural scorer, who is the player shown in the picture?

Marial Makur Shayok, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, was born in Ottawa, Ontario, into a talented basketball family: his father played for the University of Dayton; his brother played for the IMG Academy and at Bradley University; and his sister played for the University of Detroit Mercy until she was signed to a professional league in France.

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Which Canadian basketball player signed a four-year, $50 million contract for the Miami Heat in 2017?

Kelly Olynyk first began playing for the Miami Heat in 2017, after signing a four-year, $50 million contract. The Toronto native has since scored a personal best of 32 points in a 90–89 win over the Boston Celtics, his former team. He also became the best second reserve in the team's history after scoring 30 points.

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Can you guess the name of this Canadian player who has a two-way contract between the Indiana Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants?

In the summer of 2018, Nazareth "Naz" Mitrou-Long obtained Greek citizenship, in the hopes of playing pro basketball in Greece — his mother is a Greek Canadian. However, his plans changed when he signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2019.

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This power forward and centre was recently signed to the San Antonio Spurs — do you know this Canadian-American player's name?

Trey Lyles was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to a Canadian mother and American father and thus has dual citizenship. He played freshman-year basketball for the University of Kentucky before being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2015 and the Denver Nuggets in 2017. In 2019, he signed with the Antonio Spurs.

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The player shown in the picture recently signed a 5-year, $170 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. Do you know their name?

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Jamal Murray joined the Denver Nuggets in 2016 and has been impressing fans of the team ever since. Murray scored an all-time career-high 48 points when the Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics 115-107 in November of 2018.

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Which Canadian player made their official NBA debut in the fall of 2019?

Mfiondu Kabengele recently made his way off the bench in his first NBA game, playing power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. Kabengelen isn't the only basketball talent in his family — his maternal uncle, Dikembe Mutombo, played in the NBA for 18 years and has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Since their retirement from basketball, this former pro has been seen on television shows such as "Oz" and "Ugly Betty." Who is this famous Canadian?

Born Ulrich Alexander Fox in Toronto, Ontario, Rick Fox had a successful career playing for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 2004. In addition to his many acting projects, Fox acquired an esports team but was recently ousted from the investment due to "grossly negligent" behaviour.

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Despite having a notable height advantage, this retired player only saw four minutes of combined playing time over the course of two games for two different NBA teams. Who is this player?

Ron Crevier had quite a career! At 7 feet tall, Crevier was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the fourth round in 1983, but he failed to make the team. He played 1 minute of one game for the Golden State Warriors and later got in 3 whole minutes of game time playing for the Detroit Pistons.

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Who is the NBA's first player of Indian descent?

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Sim Bhullar is the first NBA player of Indian descent, and, at 7 feet, 5 inches, he's among the tallest players in the league's history. Bhullar played for the Sacramento Kings in 2015 but is more widely recognized for his athletic achievements in Taiwanese and Chinese basketball leagues.

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Which Canadian basketball player was one-third of the Miami Heat's "big three"?

Montreal-born Joel Anthony, who played for the Miami Heat between 2007 and 2014, was considered a part of the team's "big three" trifecta of players. LeBron James and Chris Bosh were the American players who made up the rest of the group.

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You probably know this now-retired NBA player for being an eight-time NBA All-Star. Who is this ultra-famous Canadian?

During the two decades Steve Nash played in the NBA, he was named an All-NBA selection seven times, on top of his eight All-Star achievements. When Nelly Furtado asked, "Is your game MVP like Steve Nash?" in her 2006 hit single "Promiscuous Girl," rumours swirled that the two Canadian celebrities were romantically involved.

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In 2004, this now-retired player became the second Canadian All-Star in the history of the NBA. Who is this player?

Jamaal Magloire became the second-ever NBA All-Star in 2004, after playing 12 seasons of NBA basketball for the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors. He is now a consultant and team ambassador for the Raptors.

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This player managed to rack up six fouls in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers — and got to stay in the game! Who is this Louisiana-born athlete?

When Robert Sacre was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014, he found himself in a position where, after receiving his sixth foul in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was able to keep playing due to the fact that the team would be down to four players if he was benched! Sacre has dual citizenship — American and Canadian.

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One of the first and last players for the Toronto Huskies, this individual only played in six games in 1946. Who are they?

One of the Toronto Huskies' original players, Gino Sovran only got to play in six games between November 22 and December 29, 1946. The Toronto Huskies only played for one season, but they were one of the original teams that competed in the Basketball Association of America, which would later become the National Basketball Association.

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