Sunday, December 22, 2024

Paris Olympics: Frequently Asked Questions

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The USA won its 16th Gold medal for men’s basketball at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

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The 2024 Olympics are set to take place in Paris, France this summer.

Here’s key information to know about the basketball competitions before the action tips off in July.


When are the 2024 Olympics?

The 2024 Olympics will begin on Friday, July 26 with the Opening Ceremony, which will be held along the Seine through the heart of Paris, France. The games will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 11.


Where are the 2024 Olympics?

The 2024 Olympics will be hosted in Paris, France, with competitions nationwide. The preliminary basketball competitions will occur at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played at Bercy Arena in Paris.


What’s the schedule for the 2024 Olympic basketball 5-on-5 tournament?

The men’s basketball 5×5 competition will tip off with the Group Stage on July 27. The medal games will take place on Aug. 10. Here’s the complete schedule:

  • Group Stage: July 27-Aug. 3
  • Quarterfinals: Aug. 6
  • Semifinals: Aug. 8
  • Medal games: Aug. 10

Which countries have qualified to compete in basketball at the 2024 Olympics?

There will be 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 basketball competitions at the Olympics for the second time after 3×3 debuted at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Here are the countries that have qualified for each tournament.

Men’s 5×5:

  • Group A: Australia, Canada, Winner of Spain Qualifying Tournament, Winner of Greece Qualifying Tournament
  • Group B: Germany, France, Japan, Winner of Latvia Qualifying Tournament
  • Group C: United States, Serbia, South Sudan, Winner of Puerto Rico Qualifying Tournament

The final four teams will be decided by the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Greece, Latvia, Spain and Puerto Rico this July.

Women’s 5×5:

  • Group A: China, Spain, Serbia, Puerto Rico
  • Group B: Australia, Canada, France, Nigeria
  • Croup C: United States, Belgium, Japan, Germany

Men’s 3×3:

  • Serbia, United States, China, Latvia, Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Poland

Women’s 3×3:

  • China, United States, France, Azerbaijan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Canada

Note: The 3×3 tournaments do not include a Group Stage. All eight teams begin with Pool Play, where each squad plays each other in a round-robin format. 


How did these countries qualify for the 2024 Olympics?

Countries can qualify for the Olympics in various ways. Most countries qualified for the Olympics based on their performances at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Other countries qualified by winning FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held last August. The final four spots will be awarded to the winners of the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this July:

  • Greece Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Dominican Republic
  • Latvia Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Georgia, Philippines, Latvia, Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro
  • Spain Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Lebanon, Angola, Spain, Finland, Poland, Bahamas
  • Puerto Rico Qualifying Tournament — Mexico, Cote d’Ivoire, Lithuania, Italy, Puerto Rico, Bahrain

How many NBA players are expected to compete in the 2024 Olympics?

Over 40 NBA players are expected to compete in the 2024 Olympics. The United States, Canada and Australia feature the most NBA players. See the full breakdown of every roster before the games begin.


What’s the format for the 2024 Olympic basketball 5-on-5 tournament?

The competition begins with the Group Phase, where each team will play three games against other countries in their Group. The top two finishers in each Group, plus the two best third-place teams, advance to the Final Phase – a single-elimination, eight-team tournament to determine gold, silver and bronze medals.


What’s the Group Stage schedule for Team USA?

Team USA men’s basketball will tip off Group C action with a matchup against Serbia on July 28.

Here’s the Group Stage schedule for Team USA:

Date  Time (ET)  Opponent  Location  Time (Local) 
July 28 11:15 a.m.  Serbia  Lille, France  5:15 p.m. 
July 31  3 p.m.  South Sudan  Lille, France  9 p.m. 
Aug. 3 11:15 a.m.  W OQT PUR  Lille, France  5:15 p.m. 

The full schedule for the men’s basketball 5×5 tournament can be found here.


How will Team USA prepare for the 2024 Olympics?

Training camp for Team USA will be held in Las Vegas before exhibition matchups against Canada, Australia, Serbia, South Sudan and Germany. Here’s the full exhibition schedule for Team USA:

Date  Time (ET)  Opponent  Location  Time (Local)  Television (U.S.) 
July 10 10:30 p.m.  Canada  Las Vegas, NV  7:30 p.m.  FS1 
July 15 12 p.m.  Australia  Abu Dhabi, UAE  8 p.m.  FS1 
July 17 12 p.m.  Serbia  Abu Dhabi, UAE  8 p.m.  FS1 
July 20 3 p.m.  South Sudan  London, UK  8 p.m.  FOX 
July 22 3 p.m.  Germany  London, UK  8 p.m.  FOX 

Are there rule differences between FIBA and the NBA?

Yes. Here are some of the major rule differences between FIBA and the NBA:

  • Game time: Each quarter is 10 minutes, instead of 12 minutes in the NBA.
  • 3-point line: The FIBA line is 6.75 meters, while the NBA line is 7.24 meters.
  • Jump balls: FIBA uses an alternating possession arrow to determine jump balls.
  • Individual foul limit: A player fouls out with five fouls in FIBA, versus six fouls in the NBA.
  • Goaltending/Basket interference: Under FIBA rules, once the ball strikes the rim, any player can play the ball. In the NBA, this would be a violation.
  • Zone defense: While legal in both leagues, FIBA does not enforce defensive three seconds like the NBA.
  • Player numbers: NBA players can wear 00, 0 and 1-99 while in FIBA, players can wear any one or two-digit number (i.e. 01, 07, etc.)

Who is competing for Team USA in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament?

Men’s 3×3 team:

  • Canyon Barry
  • Jimmer Fredette 
  • Kareem Maddox
  • Dylan Travis 

Women’s 3×3 team:

  • Cameron Brink (Injured; to be replaced)
  • Cierra Burdick
  • Rhyne Howard
  • Hailey Van Lith

Which NBA players have won the most gold medals?

  • Carmelo Anthony – 3 times (2008, ’12, ’16)
  • Kevin Durant – 3 times (2012, ’16, ’21)

Which NBA players have appeared in the most Olympics?

  • Spain’s Pau Gasol – 5 times (2004, ’08, ’12, ’16, ’21)

When was basketball first added to the Olympics?

Men’s basketball officially debuted as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, while women’s basketball debuted at the Montreal Games in 1976.


Which countries have medaled in basketball at the Olympics?

Here’s the complete medal history for men’s and women’s basketball at the Olympic games.

Year Host City Gold Silver Bronze
1936 Berlin, Germany USA Canada Mexico
1948 London, England USA France Brazil
1952 Helsinki, Sweden USA Soviet Union Uruguay
1956 Melbourne, Australia USA Soviet Union Uruguay
1960 Rome, Italy USA Soviet Union Brazil
1964 Tokyo, Japan USA Soviet Union Brazil
1968 Mexico City, Mexico USA Yugoslavia Soviet Union
1972 Munich, Germany Soviet Union USA Cuba
1976 Montreal, Canada USA Yugoslavia Soviet Union
1980 Moscow, Russia Yugoslavia Italy Soviet Union
1984 Los Angeles, USA USA Spain Yugoslavia
1988 Seoul, South Korea Soviet Union Yugoslavia USA
1992 Barcelona, Spain USA Croatia Lithuania
1996 Atlanta, USA USA Yugoslavia Lithuania
2000 Sydney, Australia USA France Lithuania
2004 Athens, Greece Argentina Italy USA
2008 Beijing, China USA Spain Argentina
2012 London, England USA Spain Russia
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil USA Serbia Spain
2020 Tokyo, Japan USA France Australia

 

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