Earlier this week Nick Nurse announced on Tim & Friends that he would be staying on as head coach of the Canadian senior men’s national basketball team through 2024, with a clear goal of reaching the Paris Olympics.
In order to reach that goal, Nurse will be looking for commitment from several key members of Canada’s player pool, including, most likely, former first-overall pick Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins took part in this year's last-chance Olympic qualifier in Victoria, B.C., and played well, despite Canada still getting ousted from the tournament and failing to reach the Tokyo Olympics.
Nurse recently told Sportsnet that he's hoping to recruit a relatively stable player pool which he hopes will, in turn, facilitate stronger play on the court. Wiggins will no doubt be part of that focus.
First, though, Wiggins will have his focus set on the upcoming 2021-22 NBA season. His Golden State Warriors will once again be at the centre of national media attention in the United States thanks to, of course, two-time MVP Steph Curry and what should, at long last, be a fully healthy complement of teammates.
There was some uncertainty as to whether Wiggins would even be part of the Warriors this coming season, with the Toronto native having been part of a litany of trade rumours, including a few that had Wiggins heading to the Raptors.
In the midst of all of this noise, Wiggins was keeping himself busy on and off the court. He recently took part in the #MessFreeChallenge social media campaign, which aims to combat global food insecurity. The Canadian forward took some time to chat with Sportsnet about the campaign and his off-season so far.
Did you watch any Olympic basketball at Tokyo 2020, or did it sting too much to watch after Canada fell shy of Olympic qualification earlier this year?
Being a part of Team Canada was an honour. I loved wearing the red and white and playing with those guys. And while we didn’t qualify for the Games, I am really proud of our performance and know that Team Canada is headed in the right direction.
I still stayed close to the Games to support Draymond [Green] and Coach [Steve] Kerr on Team USA. I was happy to see my teammate and coach win big.
After the Olympic qualifying tournament, how soon did you return to the court to start preparing for the 2021-22 season, and what sort of basketball skills are you working on in particular?
It was a quick turnaround from the Olympic qualification games to focusing on pre-season, but I had been training all along. I’m starting to feel mentally and physically ready for the season ahead.
This off-season I'm focusing on my overall fitness, ball-handling, shooting and being the best teammate I can be.
You’ve dedicated some time this off-season to fighting food insecurity by helping lead Old El Paso’s Slam Dunk #MessFreeChallenge. New Philadelphia 76er, and your friend, Andre Drummond recently challenged you in the #MessFreeChallenge, and you’ll be challenging Willy Hernangomez. What led you to getting involved in the #MessFreeChallenge?
Food insecurity is a global issue, and Canada is unfortunately no exception to that. When Drummond challenged me to get involved in the Old El Paso #MessFreeChallenge, I was really excited about the opportunity to pay it forward to families in my home country.
Last year the challenge made the rounds in the tennis community, so I’m excited to see the basketball community come together to support local food banks throughout Canada and the U.S., and I’m confident this community will turn out with their involvement.
It will be fun to watch all the spill-free slam dunks to come on Instagram. It’s already been special to be a part of this program.
