Canada will be well represented when the NBA Finals begins on Thursday with the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Indiana Pacers.
There will be four Canadians, two on each side, representing north of the 49th parallel, which is tied for the most in NBA history with last year's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
Last season saw Toronto's A.J. Lawson, Dwight Powell, and Montreal's Olivier-Maxence Prosper suit up for the Mavericks while Toronto's Oshae Brissett played for the Celtics, winning the 2024 title.
This season sees all four Canadian playing prominent roles in the final with Hamilton native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Montreal's Luguentz Dort representing the Thunder and Montreal's Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., suiting up for the Pacers.
"To see four homegrown players competing for an NBA championship is a testament to the depth, resilience, and world-class players being developed in Canada," said general manager and executive vice-president of Canada Basketball Rowan Barrett. "We couldn't be prouder of what this means for our country and for the continued growth of the game."
Two of these players will be joining a group of 10 Canadians that can say they are NBA champions, including Brissett, Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, Chris Boucher, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Joel Anthony, Rick Fox, Bill Wennington, and Mike Smrek.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
Headlining this year's group is Gilgeous-Alexander, who made NBA history earlier in the playoffs when he was named 2025 NBA MVP, joining Steve Nash of Victoria, B.C., as the only Canadian players to accomplish the feet.
The 6-foot-6 guard was the NBA's scoring champion this season, averaging 32.7 points per game while leading the Thunder to the league's best record at 68-14.
Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 29.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in the playoffs and dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, averaging 30.8 points in their five-game victory to be named Western Conference Finals MVP.
The 26-year-old was acquired by the Thunder in July of 2019, along with forward Danilo Gallinari, five draft picks, and two pick swaps, from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for star swingman Paul George.
Drafted 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in his career split between the Clippers and Thunder.
Outside of this season, Gilgeous-Alexander was already known as one of the best young players in the game, being named to two All-NBA first-teams in 2024 and 2025.
He also represented Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, averaging 21.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in a fifth-place finish.
Gilgeous-Alexander helped his country to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, averaging 24.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds.
Luguentz Dort - Oklahoma City Thunder
Dort has been a mainstay for the Thunder over the last six seasons and is known as a defensive stopper on the club.
The 6-foot-4 swingman finished fourth in defensive player of the year voting this season and was named to the 2025 All-Defensive team.
Dort averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 71 games with the Thunder in the regular season. In the playoffs, he has averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals to help his team reach the NBA Finals.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Thunder in 2019, Dort has averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 363 career games.
The 26-year-old was also part of Canada's roster at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in a fifth-place finish.
He also helped Canada to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, averaging 8.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
Bennedict Mathurin - Indiana Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin Indiana Pacers Miles McBride New York Knicks
Mathurin is making his first foray in the playoffs after being unable to participate last season due to a season-ending shoulder injury.
The 22-year-old was third on the Pacers in scoring during the regular season, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
He has averaged 10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 15 playoff games this season.
Drafted sixth overall by the Pacers in 2022, Mathurin has averaged 15.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 209 career games.
The 6-foot-6 swingman participated in the NBA Rising Star competition at the All-Star Game in 2023 and 2024 and was named the MVP of the competition in 2024.
Mathurin represented Canada at the 2021 Under-19 World Cup, taking home a bronze medal. He also attended Canada's training camp prior to the 2024 Summer Olympics but was unable to participate due to his injury.
Andrew Nembhard - Indiana Pacers
Nembhard is a key depth piece for the Pacers that can play multiple positions.
The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 65 games during the regular season. He has also averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 16 playoff games.
Nembhard was also a key contributor for the Pacers in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 17 playoff games.
Drafted 31st overall by the Pacers in the 2022 draft, Nembhard has averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 208 career games.
The 25-year-old represented Canada at the at the FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship, and FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, winning silver in both events.
He also represented his country at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, averaging 6.3 points 1.3, assists and 1.5 rebounds in a fifth-place finish.
Where to watch Pacers vs. Thunder at NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA Finals begins on Thursday with Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder battling Pascal Siakam and the Pacers.
Game 1 of the finals can be seen LIVE at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
The NBA on TSN will also bring fans access to Games 4 and 6 on Friday, June 13 and Thursday June 19 with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.
The full NBA on TSN Schedule can be found here.