James Naismith invented basketball inside a Springfield, Massachusetts, gymnasium in 1891. By 1936, the game had become a global sport, making its Olympic debut at the Berlin Summer Games. Women’s basketball followed 40 years later, debuting at the Montreal Summer Olympics.
With 3×3 basketball set to make its second straight appearance on the Olympic stage, it’s clear the popularity of the sport is soaring worldwide.
But how will the basketball competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics differ from the brand of basketball in the NBA, WNBA, BIG3 and other professional leagues?
Here’s everything you need to know about basketball at the Olympics.
When will the basketball competitions take place at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
Contests will be held from July 27-Aug. 11. The men’s medal games will take place Aug. 10, while the women’s medal games will be held Aug. 11.
All times are ET
USA men’s basketball is in Group C with Serbia and South Sudan. Here are the dates of the U.S. games:
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July 28 vs. Serbia (11:15 a.m.)
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July 31 vs. South Sudan (3 p.m.)
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Aug. 3 vs. the winner of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament* (11:15 a.m.)
* Eight of 12 possible countries have qualified for the men’s tournament. The final four spots will be decided at the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in July.
USA women’s basketball is in Group C with Germany, Japan and Belgium. Here are the dates of the U.S. games:
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July 29 vs. Japan (3 p.m.)
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Aug. 1 vs. Belgium (3 p.m.)
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Aug. 4 vs. Germany (11:15 a.m.)
3×3
The competition will be held from July 30-Aug. 5. The men’s and women’s medal games will take place Aug. 5.
All times are ET
USA men’s schedule
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July 30 vs. Serbia (4:35 p.m.)
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July 31 vs. Poland (4:35 p.m.)
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Aug. 1 vs. Lithuania (1:05 p.m.)
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Aug. 1 vs. Latvia (5:05 p.m.)
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Aug. 2 vs. France (12:35 p.m.)
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Aug. 2 vs. China (4:35 p.m.)
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Aug. 4 vs. Netherlands (1:05 p.m.)
USA women’s schedule
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July 30 vs. Germany (11 a.m.)
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July 31 vs. Azerbaijan (3:30 p.m.)
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Aug. 1 vs. Spain (3:30 p.m.)
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Aug. 1 vs. Australia (7 p.m.)
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Aug. 2 vs. France (7 a.m.)
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Aug. 2 vs. Canada (12 p.m.)
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Aug. 3 vs. China (1:05 p.m.)
Where will the basketball competitions be held at the Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
Preliminary games will take place at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, with the final phase held at Accor Arena in Paris.
3×3
The competition will be held at Place de la Concorde, an urban, open-air arena in Paris. Skateboarding, BMX freestyle and breaking will also take place at Place de la Concorde.
What is the format of the basketball competitions at the Olympics?
5-on-5
Both the men’s and women’s competitions will have a group phase followed by a knockout stage. Both tournaments will have a total of 12 teams split into three groups.
3×3
All eight teams will play each other during pool play (each team playing seven total games). After pool play, the teams will be ranked based on their records.
How does the group phase work in Olympic basketball?
5-on-5
Each team will play the other three teams in its group. A win is worth two points, a loss is worth one point, and a loss by forfeit is worth zero points.
At the end of the group phase, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The two best third-place teams will also move on to the quarterfinals.
Head-to-head results will be used as the tiebreaker.
3×3
The first team to score 21 points wins. If neither team reaches 21, the team with more points at the end of 10 minutes of play wins. Shots from outside the arc are worth two points, while free throws and shots from inside the arc are worth one point.
Possession switches after every made basket. In the event of an overtime, the first team to score two points wins.
How does the knockout stage work in Olympic basketball?
5-on-5
The single-elimination knockout stage begins with eight teams in the quarterfinals, with matchups determined by a random draw. The two highest-ranked teams will end up on opposite sides of the tournament bracket. Teams from the same group can’t face each other in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal winners will advance to the gold medal game, while the losers will face off for bronze.
3×3
The top two teams advance to the semifinals, while the bottom two are eliminated. The other four teams will compete in a play-in round (third vs. sixth, fourth vs. fifth), with the winners advancing to the semifinals.
The winners of the two semifinal games will advance to the gold medal game, while the losers will compete for bronze.
What are key differences in dimensions and time in Olympic basketball?
Unlike the 5–on-5 game, which is played on a full court (28 meters x 15 meters) with two baskets, the 3×3 game is played on a half court (11 meters x 15 meters) with a single basket.
The 3×3 ball is the same weight (620 grams) as the one used in 5-on-5 international competitions but a little smaller in diameter (72.39 centimeters compared to 74.93 centimeters).
What are the rosters for Team USA basketball?
5-on-5 Men
5-on-5 Women
* Member of the USA 3×3 women’s national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
3×3 Men
3×3 Women
* Hamby replaced Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn ACL in her left knee.
Who won gold in basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
The U.S. men’s national team won its fourth straight Olympic gold medal, while the U.S. women claimed their seventh consecutive Olympic gold.
3×3
Latvia won gold for the men (USA did not have a men’s team), while the U.S. women captured gold in the event’s Olympic debut.
Check out the ESPN Olympics hub page for the latest news, previews, in-depth features and more.