The 2024-25 NBA season was a historic one for Canadians in the NBA, and that trend is continuing in the NBA Finals.
Two weeks after Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the second Canadian MVP in league history, he was leading his team into the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of four Canadians to take the floor in this year’s series, something none of them take lightly.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a Hamilton, Ontario native, is just one half of OKC’s Canadian duo, the other half being Montreal, Quebec’s Luguentz Dort. On the Pacers’ side of things are Gilgeous-Alexander’s longtime friend, Aurora, Ontario native Andrew Nembhard, and Dort’s mentee, Bennedict Mathurin, another player who hails from Montreal.
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The number of Canadians in this series ties an NBA record, and the group of three starters is the most Canadians to start in an NBA Finals game. Here’s more on the distinguished group.
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Canadians in the 2025 NBA Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario
Gilgeous-Alexander is Canada’s biggest NBA star and recently joined Steve Nash as the second Canadian to be named NBA MVP. He has represented Team Canada at various international tournaments, most recently at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Dort and Nembhard.
In between Games 1 and 2 of the series, SGA spoke highly of his fellow countrymen:
I played against Andrew [Nembhard] when I was 9 years old — it’s been an amazing journey, and to see him having success, my own success, obviously, [Dort’s] success, [Mathurin’s] success — it’s special.
It’s hard to even wrap your head around. There’s so many kids that played in the same games that we played, and for us to make it to this stage is a testament to our hard work, our character, the people around us that helped us get here, and it’s been a blessing. It’s been super fun.
Luguentz Dort, Thunder
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Dort headlines a new wave of talented NBA players from Quebec, a group that also features Mathurin. Dort is three years Mathurin’s senior, but the two share a strong bond, as they take great pride in being Montreal natives of Haitian descent.
When Mathurin was drafted by the Pacers in 2022, Dort was there to share the moment with him.
Andrew Nembhard, Pacers
Hometown: Aurora, Ontario
Nembhard is proving to be one of the biggest draft steals in recent memory, going 31st overall in the 2022 NBA Draft after spending the final two seasons of his college career at Gonzaga.
Over three seasons in the league, he has established himself as a two-way talent capable of making plays on offense and making life difficult for the opposition’s best perimeter scorer.
Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
The youngest of the group, Mathurin was also selected higher in the draft than any of the above three. He has yet to represent the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team, but he’s one of the many players in the talented pool.
Mathurin’s unique path to the NBA includes leaving Canada for the NBA Academy in Mexico before spending two seasons at the University of Arizona. Through three seasons with the Pacers, Mathurin has posted a scoring average of 16.1 points per game.
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