UPDATE: According to Australian play-by-play commentator John Casey, Team Canada head coach Nick Nurse says reports of Cory Joseph missing the World Cup are "incorrect." Casey added that Nurse spoke with the point guard today and that his flights are booked to China.
.@CanBball coach Nick Nurse says reports that Cory Joseph will miss #FIBAWC are “incorrect”. He spoke with him today & he has flights booked to China #CanadaBasketball pic.twitter.com/HPD1eN2GCt
— John Casey (@JohnCasey2880) August 21, 2019
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Team Canada will reportedly be without another NBA player at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which begins later this month.
According to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star, Cory Joseph will not be playing in the upcoming tournament, with an official announcement expected to come later today.
NBA source tells me Cory Joseph will NOT play for Canada at the World Cup. Middle of the night in Australia so Canada Basketball comment a few hours away
— Doug Smith: Raptors (@SmithRaps) August 20, 2019
Joseph was with Team Canada in training camp and even played in its exhibition games against Nigeria. He didn't travel with the team to Australia, however, although there were reports that he would eventually join his teammates in Sydney.
If he doesn't play, Joseph joins a long list of NBA players who have chosen not to participate in this summer's World Cup, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trey Lyles and Tristan Thompson on Team Canada and the likes of James Harden, Anthony Davis and DeMar DeRozan on Team USA.
Canada is in Group H with Australia, Lithuania and Australia for the World Cup. They must finish in one of the top two spots to advance to the second stage, where they'd crossover with Group G, which features Germany, France, Jordan and the Dominican Republic.
Click here to learn more about Team Canada's opponents.