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Basketball has been a sport in the Olympic Games consistently since 1936, with the United States being the most successful country in Olympic basketball. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, will feature basketball competitions from 27 July to 11 August. The men's basketball 5x5 competition will begin with the Group Stage on 27 July, with the medal games taking place on 10 August. The women's tournament will follow a similar schedule, with the medal games on 11 August.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Season | Summer |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Dates | 27 July – 11 August |
| Venues | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Bercy Arena |
| Teams | 12 |
| Players per team | 12 |
| Roster | Over 40 NBA players |
| Format | 5x5 and 3x3 |
| Groups | A, B, C |
| Winners | TBD |
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What You'll Learn
The 2024 Olympic basketball tournament schedule
The 2024 Olympic basketball tournament will be held in Paris, France, from July 27 to August 11. The draw for the tournament was held on March 19, 2024, with the 12 teams divided into four pots of three teams each based on their FIBA World Ranking. The three groups were then formed by drawing one team from each pot, ensuring that each group had a minimum of two and a maximum of three European teams. The United States, as defending champions, were allocated to Group C, while hosts France could only be drawn into Group A or B.
The preliminary 5x5 basketball matches will take place at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, with the final phase moving to the Bercy Arena in Paris. The 3x3 competitions will retain their position in the program and will be played at the Place de la Concorde.
The tournament will feature 12-player teams, with National Olympic Committees allowed to enter only one men's team and one women's team. The rules for classification will be based on:
- Classification points
- Head-to-head results
- Head-to-head game points difference
- Head-to-head number of game points scored
The awards will be announced by FIBA on August 10, 2024, following the conclusion of the tournament.
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The history of Olympic basketball
Basketball has been played at the Olympic Games for over 80 years and is a rare team sport that has maintained its popularity over time. The sport was invented by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, and within a few decades, it became popular throughout the United States as an indoor sport. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) played a significant role in spreading basketball to many countries, and by the time it was introduced as an official Olympic sport in 1936 in Berlin, its popularity had spread worldwide.
The first Olympic basketball tournament was organized on outdoor tennis courts, and the medals were presented by Dr. Naismith himself. According to the Olympic rules at the time, all competitors were amateurs. The United States team dominated the tournament, winning the gold medal, and this marked the beginning of their longstanding dominance in Olympic basketball. The United States men's teams have won 17 of 20 tournaments, including seven consecutive titles from 1936 to 1968. The women's team has been equally successful, winning 10 out of 12 tournaments, with eight consecutive wins from 1996 to 2024.
The 1972 Olympics saw the United States basketball team lose a game for the first time when they were defeated by the Soviet Union by one point. This loss was particularly controversial, as the US team refused to accept the silver medal, claiming that the clock had been improperly restarted in the final moments of the game. The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and the Unified Team are countries no longer in existence that have won the tournament.
In 1992, the Barcelona Games became the first Olympics to allow professional athletes to participate, and the United States assembled a "Dream Team" of NBA superstars, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone. This team further cemented US dominance, going undefeated and winning the gold medal. The "Dream Team" is credited with spurring an explosion in basketball's popularity globally, leading to an influx of international talent into the NBA.
The most recent Olympic basketball tournaments took place at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where the United States men's and women's teams successfully defended their titles. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024, and basketball will once again be a featured sport, with both 5x5 and 3x3 tournaments for men and women.
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Previous winners of the Olympic basketball tournament
The United States is the most successful country in Olympic basketball history. The men's team has won 16 or 17 out of 20 tournaments, including seven consecutively from 1936 to 1968. The women's team has won nine or ten out of 12 tournaments, including eight consecutively from 1996 to 2020. The United States' 25 gold medals are the most of any nation in the history of Olympic basketball.
The United States' dominance in Olympic basketball was briefly interrupted in 2004 when they lost to Puerto Rico and Lithuania in the preliminaries, and then to Argentina in the semifinals. Argentina went on to win the gold medal, becoming the fourth team to win the Olympic title. The United States men's team bounced back in 2008, winning the gold medal against Spain, and again in 2012, in a close game against Spain. In 2016, the United States men's team won gold against Serbia, and in 2020, they won their fourth consecutive gold medal in Tokyo.
Besides the United States, Argentina is the only nation that has won both the men's and women's tournaments. The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and the Unified Team are countries no longer in existence that have won the tournament.
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Rules of Olympic basketball
Olympic basketball follows the rules set by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The rules differ slightly from those of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Here are the rules of Olympic basketball:
Court Dimensions
The Olympic basketball court is slightly smaller than the NBA court. The Olympic court measures 28 x 15 metres (91.10 x 49.25 feet), while the NBA court is 28.7 metres long and 15.2 metres wide (94 x 50 feet). The three-point line in Olympic basketball is also closer to the basket, measuring 6.75 metres (22.1 feet) from the basket and no less than 0.9 metres (3 feet) from each sideline.
Game Format
Olympic basketball games consist of four 10-minute quarters, resulting in a total game time of 40 minutes. This differs from the NBA, which plays four 12-minute quarters for a total game time of 48 minutes. If the score is tied at the end of regulation in Olympic basketball, there is an additional period of overtime, with five-minute intervals.
Fouls and Violations
In Olympic basketball, players are allowed five personal fouls before fouling out of the game. This is consistent with NCAA basketball but differs from the NBA and WNBA, which allow six fouls. Teams are considered "over the limit" when their players combine for five fouls in a single quarter. At that point, the opposing team is awarded two free throws for any defensive foul committed.
There is no "defensive three-second violation" in Olympic basketball, meaning defenders can remain in the lane for more than three seconds without actively guarding an offensive player. However, a version of the "offensive three-second rule" does exist in international play.
Goaltending rules also differ between Olympic basketball and the NBA/WNBA. In Olympic basketball, if a ball is blocked before it hits the rim while in downward flight, it is a goaltending violation. However, once the ball touches the rim, any offensive or defensive player can legally play the ball.
Timeouts
In Olympic basketball, teams are limited to two timeouts in the first half and three timeouts in the second half. In the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, a maximum of two timeouts can be called.
Other Rules
Olympic basketball features a jump ball at the beginning of the game to determine initial possession. After that, alternating possession determines which team gets the ball in future jump-ball situations. This differs from the NBA and WNBA, which use jump balls throughout the game.
There is a 24-second shot clock in Olympic basketball, similar to the NBA and WNBA. After an offensive rebound, the shot clock resets to 14 seconds.
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Teams competing in the 2024 Olympic basketball tournament
The 2024 Olympic Basketball Tournament will be held in Paris, France, from 27 July to 11 August. The tournament will feature 5x5 basketball matches at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, with the final phase and medal matches staged at the Bercy Arena in Paris (not referred to as the Accor Arena due to IOC rules). The 3x3 competitions will be played at Place de la Concorde.
Twelve teams will compete in the men's basketball tournament, with each National Olympic Committee (NOC) sending a roster of 12 players. The host nation, France, has reserved a direct quota place in the men's tournament. The other eleven teams will be determined through qualification tournaments and the FIBA World Ranking. The draw for the tournament groups was held on 19 March 2024, with the four winners of the FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) assigned as placeholders at the time.
While the full list of competing teams is not yet available, the following countries have been mentioned in sources as having qualified or being likely to qualify:
- France (host nation)
- United States (defending champions)
- Australia
- Greece
- Spain
- Serbia
The women's tournament will also feature 12 teams, each with 12 players. The qualification process and specific teams competing in the women's tournament are not yet known.
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Frequently asked questions
The basketball competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, started on 27 July 2024.
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.
Over 40 NBA players are expected to compete in the 2024 Olympics. The United States, Canada, and Australia feature the most NBA players.
