The ultimate team guy. That is what one could say if they had to sum up Dallas Mavericks star, Dwight Powell. The six-foot-eleven big man’s basketball journey has been one of the unusual twists, turns, and setbacks. However, Powell doesn’t let any of that define him and has always lived by one motto: ‘Don’t hold back, don’t leave anything on the table by not reaching high enough.’

“That’s how I was raised,” Powell says. “That’s how you approach things that you’re passionate about, you give them everything you have.” Well, he certainly has done that. The Mavericks star’s hooping journey began with a mere coincidence. Fast Forward to now, he finds himself playing at the highest level possible, something he couldn’t even dream of as a kid. But, how did it all begin?

What is Dwight Powell’s ethnicity? Is the Dallas Mavericks star Canadian?

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwight Powell has always been exposed to different cultures. “I grew up different than most,” the Dallas superstar told ‘Andscape‘. Well, his exposure to different cultures started at his home. Powell’s father Harlan Powell, is a white Canadian, while his late mother, Jacqueline Weir, was of Jamaican descent born in the West Indies. Making Dwight of mixed ethnicity.

His parents split up while he was still quite young, Powell’s mother, along with him, moved to North York, a city about eight miles north of Toronto. It was here Dwight became curious about different cultures and heritages. Growing up with American, Chinese, South Asian, Black, Filipino, Latin, and other kids, Dwight learned a lot. That is seen through his love for traveling, the 33-year-old has been to Egypt, India, Russia, China, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Mexico, and more.

He believes that traveling is “one of the most important things you can do.” He further adds, “I learned a lot about cultures, which is super important. But it wasn’t until I traveled completely by myself that I learned the real benefit of traveling. That is learning about yourself.” He has found the true meaning of traveling. Enough said, apart from his mixed ethnicity, Powell is one of Canada’s finest hoopers.

He’s now been a part of the Mavericks family for over a decade. Over the years, Powell has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Drafted as the 45th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Hornets, he was quickly traded and ended up at Dallas. The Stanford alumni have close to 700 league appearances under their belt and the only Powell craves is an NBA championship to add to their illustrious career in the league. It might be this season, but you never know.

Has Dwight Powell represented the Canadian National team?

Hailing from the vibrant city of Toronto, Dwight Powell has represented his home at the biggest stages. Moreover, Powell was part of the historic bronze medal-winning team at the 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup. The forward contributed significantly, averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and even dishing out 1.1 assists in the team’s stellar run.

That’s not all! He was also part of the men’s team representing Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Mavericks power forward averaged a solid 6.5 points, along with 5.8 rebounds and one assist per game. Well, Canada couldn’t make a podium finish in Paris as they crashed out of the quarter-finals against the hosts France.

Overall, Powell’s journey has been full of twists from him not playing basketball until 9th grade to the unfortunate demise of his mother during his college days. But, Powell never gave up and has shown incredible resilience over the years. He’s mature beyond his years and that translates into his calm and composed game on the court as the hunt for his maiden championship continues.