Netflix series reveals how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped awaken a sleeping giant

The OKC Thunder may currently be reaping the benefits of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's on-court dominance in 2024-25, but, before he helped establish them as the NBA's "It team," he did so for his home country as a member of Team Canada during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Though the nation has historically been somewhat of an afterthought for the sport on the global stage, over the last several years, thanks to its growing number of high-end professional basketball talents, they have managed to up their status worldwide.

From All-Star selectees to key cogs on Championship teams, Canada has a bevy of representatives playing and dominating in the NBA.

However, easily the biggest modern star from the nation is MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who spearheaded the charge for their exhilarating and surprising World Cup performance a couple of summers back when they bested Team USA to take home the Bronze.

In Netflix's new documentary series, Court of Gold, it was revealed that this historic triumph was the deciding factor for many of the United States' best native players to take part in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Thunder star's success at FIBA World Cup influenced Team USA

During the 2023 tournament, Team Canada bested Team USA 127-118 behind the Thunder star's mesmerizing 31 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds performance, leaving the United States outside of the top three for just the third time since 1982.

For Canadians, this was viewed as their coming out party, as they proved to the masses they were capable of taking down anyone, including a historic juggernaut.

However, as revealed by Golden State Warriors cornerstone Stephen Curry, Team USA's defeat immediately lit a fire under him and many other US-born stars to help bring back the nation's status as top dogs in the sport for the 2024 Olympic Games.

"I know we all felt the same way. [LeBron James] was the first one to send a text message out... The text was like, 'Hey, what do you think about next summer?' I said, 'Right now if you had to ask me I'm all in,'" Curry said.

Curry would further elaborate on why he, specifically, decided to partake in his first Olympics experience during the summer of 2024, stating it was "the right time" because Team Canada's third-place finish made "the stakes of Team USA regaining or reliving our dominance" higher and more prevalent than any other time throughout his eligibility.

In the end, what ultimately transpired was superstars like Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, and Anthony Davis (among many, many others) decided to come together to represent their home country in an attempt to reclaim their spot atop the global totem pole.

This unbelievable assortment of talent wound up resulting in Team USA accomplishing the Warriors star's goal of claiming their 17 Gold Medal at the Olympics (the most ever), as they went on to edge out host country Team France in the title round by a final score of 98-87.

Curry, himself, was arguably the most influential in the contest's outcome, as he led the club in points while cashing home on his iconic dagger triple to seal the game with just under a minute remaining in regulation.

And who is to thank for this rejuvenated interest in superstars representing the United States Men's Basketball team?

Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his rising Team Canada squad!

Watch Court of Gold on Netflix.