Kelly Olynyk

Biography

Kelly Olynyk was the captain of Canada’s historic bronze medal-winning team at the 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup. It was Canada’s first ever medal at the tournament. Olynyk was among the players who committed to the national team in 2022 in the hopes of qualifying Canada for its first men’s Olympic basketball tournament since Sydney 2000. 

Olynyk made his debut with the Senior Men’s National Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship (later called World Cup) where at 19 years old he was the youngest member of the Canadian team. He suited up for Canada at the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers for the 2019 and 2023 global tournaments, helping secure the country’s spot at both. He missed out on competing at the 2019 World Cup after suffering an injury in a pre-tournament exhibition game. 

Olynyk appeared in the FIBA Americas Championship in 2011 and 2015, winning a bronze medal at the latter. As a junior, Olynyk won bronze at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, Canada’s first-ever medal at the competition. He was part of a seventh-place finish at 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship.

Olynyk played collegiately at Gonzaga from 2009 to 2013. After two years off the bench and red shirting in 2012, he had a breakout year as a senior in 2012-13. Olynyk led the Bulldogs to their first ever number one national ranking during the season, winning the WCC regular season and WCC Tournament titles. He was named the WCC Player of the Year and was a consensus First-Team All-American and a First-Team Academic All-American honouree. He played in the NCAA Tournament each season, reaching the Sweet Sixteen as a freshman. In 2022 he had his number 13 retired by the Bulldogs. 

Olynyk was drafted 13^th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA Draft before being traded to Boston. He spent his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics and was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team in 2014. He then spent four years in Miami, reaching the NBA Finals with the Heat in 2020. Next were stops in Houston, Detroit, and two years in Utah before a deal at the 2024 deadline sent him home to the Toronto Raptors.

A Little More About Kelly

Getting into the Sport: Father, Ken, coached Canada’s junior men’s national team from 1983 to 1996 and at the University of Toronto from 1989 to 2002… Mother, Arlene, was a U Sports women’s basketball referee before becoming the first female scorekeeper in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors…