Ex-national team player suing Canada Basketball over injury fallout

Canada Basketball is facing a lawsuit from former longtime national team player Carl English due to insurance issues stemming from an alleged injury he suffered while training with the program, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.

In 2013, English sustained a pair of elbow injuries during national team practices that required him to undergo surgery for a bursal excision and a triceps tendon tear, the suit alleges.

At the time, English was set to earn €260,000 for the 2013-14 season, and a Canada Basketball representative allegedly confirmed an "insurance amount" of up to €300,000. However, English was unable to reach an agreement with the insurance provider, and, in the process of settling the claim in 2020, was informed by his lawyer that Canada Basketball's policy didn't cover lost wages.

The 41-year-old is now seeking $425,473.50 plus interest from Canada Basketball and its charitable arm, the Canada Basketball Foundation, claiming that the policy provided by the organization "constituted a negligent misrepresentation that resulted in financial harm."

Canada Basketball acknowledged the ongoing suit.

"Following an injury, Canada Basketball fully supported Carl's insurance claim and lobbied on his behalf with a third-party insurance company," a Canada Basketball spokesperson told Westhead. "The organization will address the claims raised in this lawsuit through proper legal channels while also continuing to work with Carl on a suitable resolution for both parties."

English would continue to play for the Canadian national team following the 2013 injury, including at the 2015 Pan American Games, where Canada won a silver medal in men's basketball.

Following four years at Hawaii, English played extensively in Europe before returning to his native Canada in 2017. He last played in 2019-20 in his home province of Newfoundland with the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada.