Josh Lewenberg TSN Raptors Reporter Follow|Archive

TORONTO - When the Canadian National Team opened training camp over the weekend they did so without many of their high-profile players, most notably Andrew Wiggins, the theoretical face of the program and its promising future.

For all the talk of who wasn’t there, the real face of the sport in this country was exactly where you'd expect him to be: in the gym with whoever else cared to show up. He was there last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. He was there when expectations were high, when a pack of Canadian media made the trip to watch the team flame out in Mexico City. He's still there now that most of those expectations, most of the media and most of his teammates have flown the coop.

Cory Joseph has been representing his country with pride for almost a decade. He debuted for the senior club in the summer of 2011, a couple months after being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, and hasn't passed on an opportunity to don the red and white since. When they call, he answers. It's a big part of his DNA as a player and as a person.

“It’s who he is,” said Jay Triano, Joseph's longtime head coach with the national team. “He loves playing basketball. He talks a little bit about his experience with San Antonio and listening to Manu [Ginobili] talk about winning [a gold medal at] the Olympics [with Argentina], and Tony Parker winning the European Championships [with France]. That’s something that resonates with him, and he wants to be that guy in the locker room, talking about how great it is to play for his country. So he answers the bell every single time."

"I grew up watching the [Canadian] National Team with [Steve] Nash and Rick Fox and all of them," said the 24-year-old point guard. "I was really inspired by those days and I wanted basketball to move [back] in that direction for Canada."

That seemed to be where they were headed, and still may be, despite last summer's setback. With a 12-man roster that included eight NBA players, the Canadians were on cruise control at the FIBA Americas Championship, winning seven of their first eight games before dropping the only one that mattered, a heartbreaker to the less talented Venezuelans with a trip to the Olympics — their first since 2000 — on the line.

After the loss, Joseph wore it like a leader should. Fighting back tears in an emotional moment - over a month of anticipation and hard work down the drain - he, Kelly Olynyk and Andrew Nicholson were the only players to address the media. Wiggins was nowhere to be found.

It's in those adverse moments where you find out which players are truly committed. There are plenty of valid reasons not to be, in fairness.

Olynyk is unable to play this summer after undergoing shoulder surgery but, to his credit, was there to watch and support the Canadian team in camp on Saturday. Nicholson and Dwight Powell are free agents and Jamal Murray will be a few weeks removed from the draft, meaning they won't have contracts to insure in time to suit up. Nik Stauskas is focused on bouncing back from a pair of disappointing NBA seasons and Anthony Bennett, waived by the Raptors last year, is in search of employment. Tristan Thompson has been noncommittal about joining the national team after the NBA Finals. Each of them are prioritizing their careers (the job that pays their bills) over playing for their country (the one that doesn't), which is perfectly reasonable. Then there's Wiggins.

“After much thought, consideration and speaking with my family, I will not be participating in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament with the Canadian Men's National Team in July,” the 21-year-old forward said in a statement released through his agency late last week. “As my third NBA season approaches, I understand my increased role with the Timberwolves and dedication to the upcoming season must have my total focus. We are building a championship contending team, which has always been my goal. This was definitely not an easy decision and I fully support and wish Team Canada nothing but success this summer.”

It's hard to fault him or anyone else for making that decision. Wiggins is a year away from being eligible for an extension — the first mega contract of his career — and there's an undeniable risk attached to international competition. Granted, a career-threatening injury like the one Paul George sustained while playing for Team USA a couple years back could happen anywhere, at any time, but FIBA isn't exactly akin to a light workout. It's a serious grind and it takes its toll. Last year, Wiggins and his Canadian teammates played a stretch of 10 games in 12 days — all of it in a hazardous environment (remember the slippery Coors Light court decals and bouts of food poisoning?).

Is the risk worth the reward? It's a personal choice, one that Joseph makes with everything he's gotten out of his national team experience in mind. For him, it's been a mutually beneficial relationship.

Coming up with the Spurs, the Pickering, Ont., native played sparingly early in his professional career. You've probably heard about the time he asked coach Gregg Popovich to go hone his craft in the D-League, but he also credits his development to the opportunity he was given with the national team each summer.

A passenger in the NBA, Joseph was along for the ride on one of the league's top teams, a championship-winning team in 2013-14. With Canada, he was given the keys to drive the bus. He got more than a platform to work through mistakes and expand his game. He learned how to be a leader.

Finally, when he got his shot in the pros — the chance to come home, continue to represent Canada and play a significant role for the Toronto Raptors — he was ready. Those who knew him weren't surprised.

"I’ve always been a firm believer of what he can do because I’ve had the chance to see it on the national team," Triano said. "I've always believed that he's a good player just watching him through the summer when we've had to play him extended minutes. He had that opportunity this year in Toronto and I thought that he rose to the occasion.”

Joseph is still a young player with things to work on and room to grow — particularly his outside shot — but he's probably reached the point in his career where the national team needs him more than he needs them. There's always an excuse to miss if you're looking for one. Joseph's had just three weeks off after going to the conference finals with Toronto. Including the playoffs, he logged 1,032 minutes more than he had in any of his first four NBA seasons. Even more will be expected of him and the Raptors next year.

This time there's little to no fanfare surrounding the Canadians, but for those who have been around the program long enough, that's nothing new. With the odds stacked against them, they're an afterthought once again. To earn a trip to Rio later this summer they'll have to win a six-team tournament in Manila outright. There's almost no room for error and their preliminary roster, even younger than last year's, features just three players with substantial NBA experience, two of them at the point guard position.

After sitting out last summer with a shoulder injury, Tyler Ennis is excited to play alongside Joseph and hopes to follow in his footsteps.

“I think it's a great opportunity to get out there and play,” said the 21-year-old Milwaukee Bucks point guard. “That was the main thing for me, was not only playing for my country but also getting in the gym and being able to play games. …I think this is the perfect opportunity on such a big stage and with so much on the line, and also being able to play against Cory every day, learn from him. He had a great year this year and this led up to that for him.”

The Bucks were supportive of Ennis' decision to play for Canada and are doing the same with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will represent Greece in July's qualifying tournament. Likewise, the Raptors, as Canada's only NBA team, are good with lending Joseph to Triano and company. Obviously, that's not always the case. It depends on the team and it depends on the player.

To play or not to play is not a new debate and it's not limited to Team Canada. Several Americans, including Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, have recently pulled out of the Olympics. We can and should commend those who choose to play without condemning those who decide it's in their best interest not to.

"I always thought, what better opportunity are you going to get to work on your game [during the summer] and to go out there and play against this type of competition?," Joseph said. "What better opportunity would you going to get? That’s the way I look at it."

However, the Canadian point guard understands that's not how everybody looks at it. He's not necessarily surprised when somebody opts out of international competition and he insists he's not disappointed either.

“I mean, they are my close, close friends but you've got to respect it’s a personal decision,” Joseph said. “There are so many things that go into it. From the outside looking in on anything it’s tough. It’s not my decision to make.”

When the time rolls around it's a choice they'll each have to make and, despite the loyalty and improved play of their leader, the Canadian senior men will need all hands on deck to even have a shot a fulfilling their great promise. Their time was never supposed to be 2016, evident last year as the pressure of the moment consumed them. It's the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that they have circled, and with good reason. While Joseph, Thompson and Olynyk will all be approaching 30, Wiggins will be in his prime, Murray will have gotten his feet wet in the NBA and emerging teenager R.J. Barrett — son of assistant GM Rowan Barrett — will be 20.

The future of basketball north of the border, the future of the national team program is still as bright as ever but that's all contingent on others following Joseph's lead, on Wiggins following Joseph's lead.

Does Joseph consider himself the face of men’s basketball in Canada?

“I don’t know, I’ll let you guys decide that,” he told TSN with a smile. “Hopefully. Hopefully you write that but I can't say that. I would love to be. If that's the title you give me, I would gladly accept it. That's a great title. I love it. I love that title.”