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Men’s basketball became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Games with women’s basketball added at Montreal 1976 while 3×3 basketball was introduced at Tokyo 2020 as part of the urban sports programme.
Here is all you need to know about the sport at Paris 2024.
Basketball schedule and venue at Paris 2024
There are two different formats of basketball at the Olympics – the traditional five-on-five and the smaller three-on-three formats.
Basketball runs from 27 July-11 August with the preliminary rounds taking place at the Stade Pierre Mauroy and the final phase being played at the Bercy Arena.
There are two medal events – men’s and women’s – with the men’s final taking place on 10 August and the women’s on 11 August.
The 3×3 basketball takes place at Place de la Concorde and runs from 30 July-5 August with both the men’s and women’s final matches being played on 5 August.
Scoring and rules in basketball
Olympic basketball consists of two teams of five playing in games divided into four 10-minute quarters.
Teams score points by shooting the ball through the hoop with three points awarded for shots scored from outside the ‘three-point line’ and two points for those scored inside the line.
If the scores are tied at the end of the 40 minutes, the game has an additional period of overtime.
Players are disqualified from the game if they commit five fouls.
If a team is awarded a technical foul (a non-contact foul) then they will receive between one and three free throws, where each shot scored is worth one point.
Scoring and rules in 3×3 basketball
3×3 basketball follows similar rules to basketball but is played on a smaller scale between two teams of three players.
Just one half of the basketball court is used and both teams attack and defend the same hoop, alternating possession after every made shot.
Players must score points by shooting through the hoop and the winner is the team with the highest score at the end of 10 minutes or the first team to reach 21 points.
Shots from outside the ‘two-point zone’ are worth two points while shots from inside it are worth one.
Free throws allow the fouled player to take one or two shots with any scored baskets worth one point.
Who has won the most medals in Olympic basketball?
The USA have dominated both men’s and women’s basketball since it became part of the Olympic programme, winning 25 gold medals overall (16 men’s, nine women’s).
Latvia became the first men’s team to win Olympic gold in the 3×3 basketball at Tokyo 2020 while the USA took gold in the women’s event.
Team GB have not qualified to play in any of the basketball events.