Lu Dort says winning an Olympic gold medal with Canada would mean more to him than winning an NBA championship, citing the opportunities his family received after moving to the country.
The Atlanta Hawks wing made the revelation during a conversation with former NBA player Serge Ibaka when asked to choose between the two achievements.
“I’d say winning a gold medal because Canada gave my family a great opportunity to have a better life,” Dort said.
Ibaka then asked whether Dort was saying an Olympic gold medal would be more important than an NBA championship.
“Yes,” Dort replied.
Dort’s answer reflects the personal significance that representing Canada carries for him. The 27-year-old was born in Montreal and has represented Canada internationally, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dort averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four Olympic games for Canada in 2024, shooting 47.4% from the field. Canada finished fourth after losing to France in the bronze-medal game.
He also represented Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where the team won a bronze medal. Dort averaged 8.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists across six games.
The guard has been part of Canada’s recent emergence as a major force in international basketball. The national team also reached the 2024 Olympic tournament after winning the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Dort’s NBA career has been built largely around his defensive impact. He entered the league with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 after one season at Arizona State and developed into one of the NBA’s most prominent perimeter defenders.
He averaged a career-high 17.2 points per game during the 2021-22 season and shot a career-best 41.2% from three-point range in 2024-25. Last season, Dort averaged 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 69 games for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder traded Dort to Atlanta during the offseason as part of the roster reshaping around Jalen Johnson following Trae Young’s departure. Atlanta also added Aaron Wiggins and Dorian Finney-Smith to build one of the league’s deeper groups of perimeter defenders.
