24 SOULEMAN SOULEMAN

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  From playing in the 1984 Olympic Games to coaching the national team four decades later, Gordie Herbert returns with the mission to take the North American country to the summit of world basketball in LA28, just as he did with Germany in 2023. Though he holds Finnish citizenship and a passport brimming with international stamps, Gordie Herbert is unmistakably a product of Penticton. The more seasoned observers might recall him donning the Canadian jersey at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Now, destiny seems to be writing a compelling sequel—this time not from the hardwood, but from the bench. Californian soil will welcome the coach back in 2028, though this time his presence will emanate from the sidelines as Canada’s national team maestro. The official announcement came on Thursday, with Canada Basketball confirming that Herbert, who masterminded Germany’s triumph at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, will take the reins in 2026. His first major tournament in charge will be the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, paving the road to Los Angeles, after posting a rich international résumé with experience in the FIBA game. Stepping into the void left by Jordi Fernández, the architect behind the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets’ newborn project before his departure last season, comes this veteran strategist, now 66 years old. Under Fernández’s guidance, Canada clinched its first-ever World Cup medal, a bronze in 2023, and finished a commendable fifth at the Paris Olympics. His exit left big shoes to fill, and Canada Basketball has responded by securing a respected tactician on the global stage.

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