Kentucky basketball trip gives Calipari an opening to boast. The Cats are big in Canada.

One result of Kentucky’s trip up north to play in the GLOBL JAM this week?

The Wildcats’ basketball star power in Canada has been on full display.

From NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (the former Kentucky player) to internationally known musician Drake (the noted Kentucky fan), John Calipari has made sure to do plenty of name-dropping the past few days. But this trip didn’t even need the typical Calipari showmanship to show off just how much of a presence UK basketball has north of the border.

Among those in the stands for Kentucky’s first game of this event Wednesday night was Jamaal Magloire, the former UK center who later became the first Canadian to play for the Toronto Raptors. (Magloire now has a job with that NBA franchise.)

Around tip time of Thursday’s game — against host country Canada — another familiar face was sitting courtside. That was Gilgeous-Alexander, who went from a relatively unsung UK recruit — by Calipari-era standards — to lottery pick to bona fide star, earning All-NBA first-team recognition this past season, still just 24 years old at the time of that rare honor.

Gilgeous-Alexander originally sat near the baseline corner opposite from Kentucky’s bench for Thursday night’s game, but he was moved, fairly promptly, to a spot right next to where the Wildcats were sitting, presumably to get a little buffer from the steady flurry of onlookers hoping to get close to him.

When he changed seats, a Toronto-based reporter noted to the Herald-Leader that Gilgeous-Alexander had achieved “rock star” status in the country. During a brief interview with SportsNet as the Cats played Canada, the former UK star credited his time in Lexington.

“It changed the course of my career,” he said. “You have to fight for everything you want to get, especially with so much talent around you. You learn that from day one. It’s so competitive in that gym. And you really get better every day. And I found myself getting better every day in that gym, and I got to my ultimate goal.”

Those words will surely be music to Calipari’s ears. The Kentucky coach clearly relished being next to his former-player-turned-NBA-star on Thursday night. Calipari said the two were talking throughout the game, to the point that Gilgeous-Alexander jokingly told him to turn around.

“Watch the game,” the player told his former coach. “You’re not supposed to be talking to me.”

After Kentucky’s 93-69 win over Canada, a cheerful Calipari held court for more than 20 minutes. And, in addition to the typical UK traveling press party, there were several Canadian-based reporters there to ask about the program’s ties to the country.

One reporter started a question referencing Gilgeous-Alexander and fellow NBA star Jamal Murray, who helped the Denver Nuggets win their first league title last month, and Calipari cut him off, throwing out the names of other ex-Cats with Canadian backgrounds — Trey Lyles and Mychal Mulder — to show off Kentucky’s further links to the country.

“Do you want me to keep going?” Calipari asked, without waiting for a reply. “Then you ask me this question: ‘How do you not get every Canadian that can play?’ I don’t know! I have no idea. Why they wouldn’t call us to say, ‘Every kid that’s come to you is in the league or fighting or …’ So tell me why. I don’t know. They don’t.”

At one point in Thursday’s press conference, Calipari said he was looking forward to Friday’s off day, with no GLOBL JAM games scheduled.

“We’re gonna do some fun things tomorrow,” he said, pausing as if he wanted someone to ask him what, exactly, the Cats would be doing. No one bit, so Calipari went on. “We’re gonna go to a friend of mine — his house. We’re gonna swim in his pool. Practice on his court.”

Calipari, a glint in his eye, was clearly talking about Drake. “He’s on tour. He has no idea.”

A little later, Calipari admitted that, of course, Drake knew they were coming.

Sure enough, the next day, the Wildcats arrived at the star musician’s $100 million mansion, which includes an NBA-regulation court, dubbed “The Sanctuary,” where Kentucky’s team practiced Friday.

Later that afternoon, Calipari posted a video on Twitter from poolside at Drake’s mansion, wearing sunglasses while UK players and staff members milled around in the background.

“All right, we’re at Drake’s,” said the UK coach. “Relaxing. Really wish you were with us.”

Asked another question Thursday night about Kentucky’s Canada connection, Calipari talked about young recruits from the country coming to American college basketball with a different perspective than U.S. players. The UK coach described guys who were more grounded, perhaps even more unselfish on the court, from the get-go in college.

He trotted out the oft-used example of how Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t even start for the first few weeks of his freshman season — sitting behind more highly touted point guard Quade Green and never complaining — before breaking into the first five.

Calipari mentioned Lyles — born in Canada and one of four McDonald’s All-American freshmen on Kentucky’s 38-1 “platoon” team — being perfectly fine taking a complementary role on a roster filled with stars. He was still a one-and-done lottery pick, and he played a key part in the Sacramento Kings’ playoff run this season.

Murray is one of the game’s top backcourt players. He got plenty of shots in his one year at Kentucky, but he also ceded the point guard role to Tyler Ulis that season. No complaints.

And Mulder has played 84 games in the NBA despite not playing major minutes at Kentucky.

“They don’t seem to be spoiled by all the stuff,” Calipari said. “The list. The draft list. The five-star. The four-star. … Doesn’t mean anything. But, here, it truly doesn’t mean anything. And so those guys seem to come in, and they weren’t spoiled at all.”

A big win over Canada, a young team that has him excited, and a famous alum sitting a few feet away with a splashy trip to Drake’s house planned the next day had Calipari gushing Thursday night, and there were plenty of locals around to listen.

“I just love the city,” he said. “Great restaurants. Love walking the streets. Friendly people. Diverse. I just love this city. This is one of my favorite cities in the world to go to. It is. And I’ve been — I haven’t been to Australia — but just about everywhere else in this world, I’ve been to most of their cities, and this is a clean, safe — I love this city.

“And I love coming up here to recruit.”

Kentucky dominates Canada in GLOBL JAM. Cats qualify for gold medal game with the victory.

A new Adou for Kentucky basketball? Bulked-up Thiero ready for a bigger role in year two.

Reed Sheppard starred for Kentucky. His family was there to see it. ‘It means everything.’