Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Announces he will not Compete for Team Canada

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander announced on Instagram Thursday that he will not be playing for the Canadian National team due to injury.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 35 games.

“Thank you — I wouldn’t be here I am today without the Canada Basketball community,” Gilgeous-Alexander wrote, “The team will have my full support and I look forward t continuing to represent my country in the future.”

The budding star was sidelined from March 24 and on last season with plantar fasciitis

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said in a media availability that Gilgeous-Alexander was a little behind where the staff thought he should be, saying it was a “significant tear” in his plantar fascia

"It's not something that you should really mess around with," Daigneault said. "If we got aggressive with him, it could compromise him long term, which makes no sense for us for a player that is as important to our franchise as he is."

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Despite Gilgeous-Alexander being sidelines due to injury, Oklahoma City could still see one play on Team Canada.

Canada Basketball announced its 21-man roster, putting Oklahoma City guard Luguentz Dort in the mix.