Nash Would Play For Canada If Triano Was Still The Coach?

Nash sang the praises of Raptors coach Jay Triano to Barbosa — “He also said if he was a coach he would have come back,” Barbosa said Nash told him about Triano, referring to the Canadian national team — and tried to welcome him to his country.

Via National Post

Did he tell you anything about Jay Triano? "The thing that he told me when I think you guys wanted him to make a part of the national team was that he was so close with the coach that the time he went with the national team it was because of the coach. He also said if (Triano) was a coach he would have come back. He said that he's a good coach that I would like."

Via Raptorblog

I've always speculated this was the case but this is the first time I've seen it in the papers. Or maybe my memory is fuzzy. I can only imagine how much it would have helped Canada Basketball's Senior Men's program and the game in Canada. I guess the clip below explains the sad state of the Senior Men's National Team.




Not to worry though as Canada does have young NBA caliber talent like Thompson, Joseph, Pangos, Kabongo, Birch, Wiltjer, Olynyk, Wiggins etc coming up through the program. No more Ryan Bell and Aaron Doornekamp in a couple of years.