After a 16-year absence from the Olympic Games, the Greek national basketball team will officially make its return on Saturday night. Greece faces Canada in its opening match in Lille, hoping to lay the foundation for a journey back to Paris, aiming to participate in the quarterfinals this time, rather than just the Opening Ceremony.

The twelve-man roster available to Vassilis Spanoulis has been known for days, as has the roster of Canada, which returns to official competitions after winning the bronze medal in last year’s World Cup (defeating the USA in the third-place game).

Although Andrew Wiggins will be absent again, compared to the Philippines, the Canadians will have the 2023 Denver Nuggets champion, Jamal Murray, available.

The task for the Greek national team seems challenging, as Canada’s roster includes players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett, and no one can overlook the other players that make up Jordi Fernandez’s team.

The last meeting between the two teams was in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria in 2021, where Canada won 97-91.

The other match in the group, between Australia and Canada, is scheduled for noon (12:00, ERTSports 1).