Khem Birch

Biography

Khem Birch 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. Birch first played with the senior national team at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where Canada came one game shy of qualifying for Rio 2016, losing to France in the final. 

In 2019, Birch played for Canada at the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers, helping secure the team’s spot at the World Cup later that year, where he was one of two NBA players on Team Canada and led the team in rebounds and blocks. As a junior, Birch won a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA U18 Americas Championship.

Birch played his freshman season of college at the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to UNLV in 2012. As a sophomore he was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, leading the conference in blocks, as the Runnin’ Rebels went to the 2013 NCAA Championship tournament.

Birch began his professional career in 2014-15 in the NBA D League and was named to the All-Star Game in his rookie year. He then went overseas and played a year in Türkiye. The following season he played in Greece, making the EuroLeague final with Olympiacos

In July 2017 he signed with the Orlando Magic and made his NBA debut the following season. He joined the Toronto Raptors mid-way through 2021 where he would play for another two years. In the summer of 2024, he returned to Europe and joined Girona in the Spanish Liga.

A Little More About Khem

Getting into the Sport: Became the first player from Quebec to ever appear in the McDonald’s All-American game, showcasing the best high school talent in the USA…