The 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris are a big step forward for many sports and among those looking forward to the spotlight is men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball after its Olympic debut in 2021 in Tokyo was with no fans in attendance.
The 3×3 competition in Paris will take place in a festival-type atmosphere at the Place de la Concorde, where 3×3 will be alongside skateboarding, cycling BMX freestyle and breaking.
“Paris 2024 will be a historic moment for 3×3 basketball,” said FIBA 3×3 Managing Director Alex Sanchez. “With the world’s best teams competing over seven days of action-packed competition, we are set for an incredible 3×3 Olympic spectacle like we have never seen before.”
More than 37,000 people are expected to attend the park daily, many of whom will get their first taste of 3×3. The competition will feature eight teams per gender and referees will also be split equally between men and women. In Tokyo, the U.S. men’s team finished outside the top eight while the women’s team won the gold medal.
“I think people expect because we’re the United States that will just roll the ball out and it will be easy to win,” USA Basketball Chief Executive Officer Jim Tooley said on a recent episode of the SportsTravel podcast. “3×3 is different. It’s a 10-minute game, the 12-second shot clock is an absolute sprint. And really it will be difficult for any country to dominate the discipline because of the nature of the game.”
The opening 3×3 action on July 30 will feature the USA women playing Germany while the USA men — led by former NBA player Jimmer Fredette — will clash with Serbia as the nightcap. The semifinals and medal games will all take place on August 5.
“We’re excited about the challenge and really look forward to Paris because the venue there is amazing,” Tooley said. “It’s right in the Place de Concorde, close to the Eiffel tower, center of the city. It’s a great way for our athletes to be showcased in the sport to be showcased.”
With 3×3 on the schedule for LA28, the sport is hoping its moment in Paris keeps the momentum and gains new fans.
“I have to applaud FIBA because as the whole idea behind this discipline was to get the sport in parts of the world that would not otherwise be,” Tooley said. “So you see teams from Mongolia, Hungary, Azerbaijan has a women’s team. It’s a great thing to see that growth.”