Canadian 3x3 basketball star puts Olympic aspirations into focus

Should Canada qualify a men's 3x3 basketball team for the 2020 Olympics it will be in large part because of a committed group of athletes from Saskatoon.

The original team of Michael Linklater, Nolan Brudehl and Michael Lieffers have been quietly going about their basketball business behind the scenes for years now, paying out of their own pockets to compete at international events. Recently, they've added Steve Sir and Jermaine Bucknor as substitutes.

CBCSports is providing a free live stream of theFIBA3x3World Tour event in Saskatoon on Saturday and Sunday.

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Team Saskatoon, which was representing Canada, is coming off an impressive performance at the 3x3 World Cup in Manila. The team won all of its preliminary games, including victories over No. 3 Russia and No. 6 Brazil, before losing the quarter-final game against the Netherlands.

Canada edges Russia for 2nd-straight win at 3x3 World Cup

6 years ago

Duration 0:51

Canada improved to 2-0 at the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup with a 20-17 win over Russia.

It was the first-time ever Canada had a team playing at the event. That's because up until now the federation didn't have enough international points to even attend.

That's all changed and now with two years to go before 3x3 makes its Olympic debut, the team from Saskatoon is doing everything it can to first qualify Canada for a spot at the Games, and then be the team that gets to wear the Maple Leaf.

"Once we got wind of it being an Olympic sport it really clicked for us," Linklater said. "That's when we understood this was the closest, legitimate opportunity for us to become Olympians. And not only Olympians but also Olympic medallist."

Linklater has been the team leader for years. He's considered one of the best 3x3 basketball players in the world. He was voted most spectacular player in the world this past season. He wants more than anything to be at the Games but knows it's an uphill battle.

That's why they've assembled a team working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure they have every edge on the court from team doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists and trainers, this team is making this its sole focus for the next two years.

The team will be the fan favourites this weekend in its hometown of Saskatoon as the World Tour 3x3 kicks off in the prairie city.

"To have our families there is probably the most important," Linklater said. "There are so many times we're travelling and not being able to be with them. It'll be a great weekend to showcase how hard we've been working."

Qualifying process comes into focus

The inaugural 3x3 Olympic competition will feature eight men's teams and eight women's teams.

From what Linklater understands, four of those eight spots are already locked in for the host and the top-three ranked teams. That leaves just four spots up for grabs and the rest of the world is pushing for those spots incredibly hard.

Linklater says he's heard there will be an Olympic qualifying tournament in May 2020 that will go a long way in determining whether Canada will be going to the Games or not.

"That Olympic qualifier is going to be huge," he said.

"We are extremely confident in what we can bring to the game. I feel with our team, we're still getting better. There are good teams out there but they're as good as they're going to get."

Growing the game

In order for Canada to become a powerhouse in the somewhat new discipline, the country is putting on a full-court press to increase awareness and opportunities to play.

Bryan Crawford is with Canada Basketball, and has been overseeing the 3x3 program. He says last year they invested more resources as they continue to build the program leading into the Olympics.

"This is the early stages of this. We have a men's national team now. We have a program of competition," he said. "But it's a program we're trying to build from scratch and we're trying to secure corporate sponsorship moving forward."

Crawford says the Canada Quest Tour, created to promote the game, now has seven stops across the country, including a men's and women's division. Last year, for the first-time ever, a national 3x3 championship was held inside West Edmonton Mall. Momentum is building but Crawford knows it's going to take time.

"It's not an event funded by Own the Podium as of yet until the end of this cycle. And unfortunately at Canada Basketball, we don't have the resources to have a high-performance program for 3x3 like we would the traditional game," Crawford said.

But what's important is that they continue to attract players to game because what it does is increases Canada's chances of qualifying for the Olympics. There's a direct correlation between the number of players in a federation and the number of points that federation gets at every event.

"The more teams you have playing and the more events you host, the more points you score and the better your international ranking is going to be," Crawford said.

Crawford says the Saskatoon team has to be credited for the success Canada has had internationally to this point in 3x3 basketball.

"In 20 years when we look back on this and 3x3 has grown in popularity, it'll be so much because of the efforts from the Saskatoon team," he said.

Linklater is aware of the pressure on his team, but doesn't seem too phased by it.

"I guess pressure is what you make it. I don't think pressure is in my vocabulary," he said. "It's an exciting time for us."