Andrew Wiggins: Golden State Warriors forward commits to Team Canada for pivotal 2021

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Andrew Wiggins becomes among the first NBA players to commit to the Canadian National Team for the summer of 2021. 

He shared the news of his commitment via Instagram. 

2021 is a big year for the Canadian National Basketball Team.

The country, which has had a growing number of players on NBA rosters in recent years, has a shot at ending its drought of Olympic appearances this year.  Canada hasn't competed in the basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics since Sydney in 2000, where it finished seventh after topping Group B after the five pool games.

However, to participate in the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in August of 2021, the team must win a Qualifying Tournament in their backyard. 

MORE: RJ Barrett expresses desire to play for Team Canada in 2021

Canada is one of six teams to participate in a Qualifying Tournament, one of four to decide the final four teams at the Olympics, in Victoria, Canada from June 29 to July 4

Canada is slotted in Group A of the Qualifying Tournament alongside Greece and China (Group B features Uruguay, Czech Republic and Turkey) with only the winner of the Tournament qualifying to the Olympics and will be grouped in Pool A alongside the USA, France, and Iran.

With the Qualifying Tournament clashing with the final rounds of the 2021 NBA playoffs, multiple players like RJ Barrett, Khem Birch, Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort have expressed their desire to play for the national team but are yet to announce their commitment.

Wiggins enjoyed a productive season for the Golden State Warriors as their second-leading scorer with 18.6 points per game on career-high shooting numbers from the field (49.7 percent) and the 3-point line (38.0 percent).

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