Dillon Brooks sees a clean fit in Canada’s leadership setup, and he says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has handled his role exactly the way you’d expect from the program’s biggest star.
After Canada’s win over Jamaica in the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifier, Brooks spoke about the dynamic between the two co-captains. He described himself as the louder voice and Gilgeous-Alexander as the steadier one, saying, "I think it meshes well.
I'm the fiery, passionate, maybe outspoken leader. He's a more cool, calm and collected," Brooks said.
"We can relate to different players on the team and give our input in. I feel like most of the players will attentively listen and be ready to play hard for Canada."
That partnership has taken shape while Canada continues to lean on Gilgeous-Alexander as the face of its rise on the international stage. He helped lead the country to bronze at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and to fifth place at the 2024 Olympics, adding to a stretch that has put Canada firmly in the mix among the sport’s top nations.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s game has made him the obvious centerpiece. He leads by example, and that has shown up again in this summer’s World Cup qualifying window. Canada didn’t need him to chase a spot in next summer’s event, but he suited up anyway, playing in front of his hometown crowd in Hamilton, Ontario, just a month after the Thunder were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.
The results were never really in doubt. Canada rolled past Puerto Rico and Jamaica in what the article described as glorified exhibitions, with the talent gap showing immediately. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 efficient points against Puerto Rico and followed that with 16 points and four steals against Jamaica.
For Canada, it was another reminder of what Gilgeous-Alexander brings every time he wears the national team jersey: consistency, production and a calm presence at the center of it all. And for Brooks, it was a chance to spell out why the pairing works, even after they had just been on opposite sides of an intense NBA playoff series sweep two months earlier.
The two have grown up in the basketball world together, and Brooks’ view of Gilgeous-Alexander carried a clear note of respect. Even with his own reputation as a fiery presence, he made it clear he appreciates the way Canada’s top player carries himself.
In Other News...
Thunder Fans Have A Frustrating Payton Sandfort Problem Already
Payton Sandfort has made a quick impression in Summer League, and not just because he was an undrafted name who was already waived by Oklahoma City. Through three games, he has led all Thunder players in scoring at 12.7 points per game, giving the kind of shooting pop that tends to linger in the back of a front offices mind even when the roster math is working against him.
The frustrating part for Thunder fans is that the performance and the opportunity do not line up neatly. Oklahoma City has limited room to maneuver, and while Sandfort keeps producing, the team is also sorting through other young pieces, including recent lottery pick Aday Mara, whose Summer League line has been a mixed bag of defensive flashes and turnover issues. For now, Sandfort looks like the kind of player who can keep forcing the conversation without necessarily changing the answer. [Read more 🡒]
Ajay Mitchell Just Gave Thunder Fans A Huge Injury Reason For Hope
Ajay Mitchells first NBA season gave the Thunder a useful surprise, and his summer has turned into something a little different: a recovery check that matters just as much to Oklahoma City as any offseason workout video. The Belgian guard, who broke through with a strong playoff run while helping cover for Jalen Williams absence, spent the year showing he could be a real part of the rotation before a calf strain cut things short in the Western Conference Finals.
Mitchell said he is still invested in Belgiums run toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals against Spain, but the bigger Thunder takeaway is the injury update he offered on the side. After finishing the season with a breakout scoring and playmaking profile, he is now deep into rehab and close enough to full recovery to give Oklahoma City a reason to feel better about what comes next, even if the final stretch of his return still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren Faces A Thunder Future That Could Change Everything
Chet Holmgrens place in the Thunders long-term plan is starting to look a little different, and the shift says as much about Oklahoma Citys roster construction as it does about Holmgrens own evolution. The front office has spent the offseason adding size in the middle, which changes the way the team can deploy one of its most unique players and puts a premium on the skills that already make him so valuable away from the basket.
For Holmgren, the next step is less about surviving at a new spot than thriving in it. If he is going to spend more time stretched out on the floor, his three-point shot becomes even more important, both in volume and efficiency, and the Thunder will be counting on him to help fill some of the perimeter production that has gone out the door. The question now is how quickly he can turn that adjustment into another weapon for a team that keeps finding new ways to raise the bar. [Read more 🡒]