Canada will be missing one of its top basketball players, Andrew Wiggins, at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Golden State Warriors have prevented him from participating in the tournament, citing concerns over his health. Although Wiggins had initially been included on the training camp roster, the Warriors raised last-minute concerns regarding his ankle problems last season.
Wiggins had expressed his desire to represent his country and acknowledged the success of the Canadian team in recent tournaments. However, he has not competed for Canada since 2020 and missed out on their bronze medal win against Team USA at the FIBA World Cup last summer. This was a significant blow for Wiggins, who has always been proud to wear the Canadian flag on his jersey and compete for his country.
Following a challenging season with the Warriors, where Wiggins experienced a drop in performance and briefly lost his spot in the starting lineup, there have been reports of the team exploring potential trade options for him. Despite struggling to meet his career averages, averaging fewer points and rebounds last season, Wiggins returned for the Play-In Tournament towards the end of the season. However, it is unclear what factors led to this decision by the Warriors to prevent him from playing for Canada at the Olympics.