Which basketball teams are playing at the Olympics, when are the games and who are the favourites? Al Jazeera explains.
Basketball became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin although it first featured as a demonstration sport at the St Louis 1904 Olympic Games.
As the 2024 Olympics kicks off in Paris, here is all you need to know about the men’s basketball competition:
🏀 Which men’s basketball teams have qualified for the Olympics?
A total of 12 countries have qualified for men’s basketball at Paris 2024:
Group A: Australia, Greece, Canada, Spain
Group B: France, Germany, Japan, Brazil
Group C: Serbia, South Sudan, Puerto Rico, United States
🏀 What is the format of men’s Olympic basketball?
The men’s basketball tournament will divide the 12 teams into three groups of four teams each.
The top two from each group along with the two best third-placed teams will progress to the next round. Then a draw will take place to determine the pairings of the quarterfinals.
The winners of the quarterfinals will progress to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals meet in the gold medal match while the losers play in the bronze medal match.
Buckle up world.
The basketball is going to be HOT in Paris this summer! 🔥#FIBAOQT x #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/mx0D62yLge
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 8, 2024
🏀 Who are the favourites to win the gold?
The Americans’ dominant status in Olympic men’s basketball makes them the heavy favourites in Paris.
Team USA have won a record 16 gold medals out of a possible 20 – including a first-place finish in the last four Summer Games.
They can expect a challenge from their northern neighbours, Canada, who boast the star-studded NBA guard tandem of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray.
Germany, the 2023 FIBA World Cup winners, are also among the contenders alongside host nation France, whose squad features the phenomenal Victor Wembanyama, the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Tokyo 2020 silver medallists France had a poor showing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup but will enjoy the backing of a partisan home crowd at the Olympics.
Serbia, led by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic, is also a leading challenger, having won the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
🏀 Which top basketball players will be playing at the Olympics?
From the legendary LeBron James to the rising star Wembanyama, the Paris 2024 Olympics arguably features the finest collection of global basketball talent to ever take part in the games.
Four-time NBA champion James, 39, will make his Olympic return for Team USA for the first time since London 2012 while his teammate Stephen Curry, the NBA’s all-time three-point leader, will make his Olympic debut, aged 36.
France’s 20-year-old Wembanyama is expected to have a breakout tournament in front of his home crowd.
Standing at a towering 2.24 metres (7ft, 4 inches) and possessing an incredible 2.44 metre (8ft) wingspan, the Frenchman has already established himself as a once-in-a-generation talent in his first season in the NBA.
The spotlight will also be on former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who helped lead Greece to Olympic qualification for the first time since 2008.
🏀 What are the key dates for the matches?
- Group stage: Saturday to August 3
- Quarterfinals: August 6
- Semifinals: August 8
- Bronze medal match: August 10
- Gold medal match: August 10
🏀 Where will the matches be held?
- Group phase matches will take place at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille.
- Knockout rounds will be held at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
🏀 Keep up to date
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated Paris 2024 Olympics tournament page with all the news and features as well as event build-up and live text commentary on selected football, basketball, tennis and boxing fixtures. Stay informed with real-time updates from Paris 2024 with our Olympics events calendar, medal table and results pages.