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.
3x3 basketball made its second straight appearance on the Olympic stage at the 2024 Paris Games. The popularity of the sport is soaring worldwide.
How do Olympic basketball competitions differ from the NBA, WNBA, BIG3 and other professional leagues?
Here's everything you need to know:
When did basketball competitions take place at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
Contests were held from July 27-Aug. 11. The men's medal games took place Aug. 10, while the women's medal games were held Aug. 11.
All times are ET
USA men's basketball was in Group C with Serbia and South Sudan. Here were the dates of the U.S. games:
July 28 vs. Serbia (11:15 a.m.)
July 31 vs. South Sudan (3 p.m.)
Aug. 3 vs. the winner of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (11:15 a.m.)
USA women's basketball was in Group C with Germany, Japan and Belgium. Here were the dates of the U.S. games:
July 29 vs. Japan (3 p.m.)
Aug. 1 vs. Belgium (3 p.m.)
Aug. 4 vs. Germany (11:15 a.m.)
3x3
The competition was held from July 30-Aug. 5. The men's and women's medal games took place Aug. 5.
All times are ET
USA men's schedule
July 30 vs. Serbia (4:35 p.m.)
July 31 vs. Poland (4:35 p.m.)
Aug. 1 vs. Lithuania (1:05 p.m.)
Aug. 1 vs. Latvia (5:05 p.m.)
Aug. 2 vs. France (12:35 p.m.)
Aug. 2 vs. China (4:35 p.m.)
Aug. 4 vs. Netherlands (1:05 p.m.)
USA women's schedule
July 30 vs. Germany (11 a.m.)
July 31 vs. Azerbaijan (3:30 p.m.)
Aug. 1 vs. Spain (3:30 p.m.)
Aug. 1 vs. Australia (7 p.m.)
Aug. 2 vs. France (7 a.m.)
Aug. 2 vs. Canada (12 p.m.)
Aug. 3 vs. China (1:05 p.m.)
Where were basketball competitions held at the Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
Preliminary games took place at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, with the final phase held at Accor Arena in Paris.
3x3
The competition was held at Place de la Concorde, an urban, open-air arena in Paris. Skateboarding, BMX freestyle and breaking also took place at Place de la Concorde.
What is the format of basketball competitions at the Olympics?
5-on-5
Both the men's and women's competitions have a group phase followed by a knockout stage. Both tournaments have a total of 12 teams split into three groups.
3x3
All eight teams play each other during pool play (each team playing seven total games). After pool play, the teams are ranked based on their records.
How does the group phase work in Olympic basketball?
5-on-5
Each team plays 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 advance to the quarterfinals. The two best third-place teams also move on to the quarterfinals.
Head-to-head results are used as the tiebreaker.
3x3
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 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 advance to the gold medal game, while the losers will face off for bronze.
3x3
The top two teams advance to the semifinals, while the bottom two are eliminated. The other four teams 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 advance to the gold medal game, while the losers 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 3x3 game is played on a half court (11 meters x 15 meters) with a single basket.
The 3x3 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 were the 2024 rosters for Team USA basketball?
5-on-5 Men
5-on-5 Women
3x3 Men
3x3 Women
* Hamby replaced Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn ACL in her left knee.
Who won gold in basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
5-on-5
The U.S. men's national team won its fifth straight Olympic gold medal, while the U.S. women claimed their eighth consecutive Olympic gold.
3x3
The Netherlands (men's) and Germany (women's) won gold medals in 3x3 basketball in Paris.
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