Zach Edey7-foot-4 center from Purdue who was drafted No. 1.9 overall by Memphis Grizzlies Team Wednesday, will not represent Canada at the Paris Olympics. On Sunday, Edey and Canada Basketball announced that he had withdrawn from training camp with the national team.
Camp begins Friday in Toronto, the same day Edey held his introductory press conference in Memphis. Edey was named to the Basketball Canada team on June 19, but when asked about his status with the national team at this press conferencehe said, “We’re going to have dinner tonight and talk about it, so I’m not sure yet.”
Official statement from Edey:
“I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the process to compete for a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Canada. Since last summer, I have trained and competed non-stop to achieve my goal of winning a national championship at Purdue and making it to the NBA. Now, I have an obligation to properly prepare for whatever is to come with my draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. The hard work I put in this summer on my body and my game has been essential to becoming the best version of myself. Thank you to Canada Basketball and all the fans for your support and understanding. Representing Canada at the Olympic Games has been a long-time dream of mine, but for now, I look forward to being the biggest fan of this team on this side of the Atlantic.”
And from Rowan Barrett, general manager of the national team:
“Canada Basketball was recently informed by Zach of his intention to withdraw from bidding to represent Canada at this summer’s Olympic Games. While we are optimistic that Zach will join us for training camp, we understand and support him in this difficult decision. On behalf of Canada Basketball, I would like to congratulate him on being drafted by the NBA. We look forward to welcoming him to our next training camp and wish him the best in his preparation for next season.
This news came two days later Golden State Soldier took of wing Andrew Wiggins outside the Canadian training camp. The roster seems less complete than it originally was, but there’s still plenty of talent, including 11 current NBA players: Nickel Alexander WalkerIndonesian: RJ Barrett, Oshae BrissettIndonesian: Dillon BrooksIndonesian: Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trey Lyles, Jamal Murray, Andrew NembhardIndonesian: Kelly Olynyk And Dwight Powell.
Edey didn’t play much for Canada at last year’s FIBA World Cup, but he improved significantly during his senior season at Purdue. Had he not resigned, he likely would have played a significant role in France.
The move means Edey could potentially play for Memphis in the summer league.
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