Paris Olympics: Frequently Asked Questions

The USA won its 16th Gold medal for men’s basketball at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

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The 2024 Olympics are set to take place in Paris, France this summer.

Here’s key information to know about the basketball competitions before the action tips off in July.

When are the 2024 Olympics?

The 2024 Olympics will begin on Friday, July 26 with the Opening Ceremony, which will be held along the Seine through the heart of Paris, France. The games will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Where are the 2024 Olympics?

The 2024 Olympics will be hosted in Paris, France, with competitions nationwide. The preliminary basketball competitions will occur at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played at Bercy Arena in Paris.

What’s the schedule for the 2024 Olympic basketball 5-on-5 tournament?

The men’s basketball 5×5 competition will tip off with the Group Stage on July 27. The medal games will take place on Aug. 10. Here’s the complete schedule:

• Group Stage: July 27-Aug. 3
• Quarterfinals: Aug. 6
• Semifinals: Aug. 8
• Medal games: Aug. 10

The women’s 5×5 competition begins on July 28:

• Group Stage: July 28-Aug. 4
• Quarterfinals: Aug. 7
• Semifinals: Aug. 9
• Medal games: Aug. 11

Which countries have qualified to compete in basketball at the 2024 Olympics?

There will be 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 basketball competitions at the Olympics for the second time after 3×3 debuted at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Here are the countries that have qualified for each tournament.

Men’s 5×5:

• Group A: Australia, Canada, Greece, Spain
• Group B: Germany, France, Japan, Brazil
• Group C: United States, Serbia, South Sudan, Puerto Rico

Women’s 5×5:

• Group A: China, Spain, Serbia, Puerto Rico
• Group B: Australia, Canada, France, Nigeria
• Croup C: United States, Belgium, Japan, Germany

Men’s 3×3:

• Serbia, United States, China, Latvia, Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Poland

Women’s 3×3:

• China, United States, France, Azerbaijan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Canada

Note: The 3×3 tournaments do not include a Group Stage. All eight teams begin with Pool Play, where each squad plays each other in a round-robin format. 

How did these countries qualify for the 2024 Olympics?

Countries can qualify for the Olympics in various ways. Most countries qualified for the Olympics based on their performances at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Other countries qualified by winning FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held last August. The final four spots were awarded to the winners of the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this July:

• Greece Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Dominican Republic (Greece advances)
• Latvia Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Georgia, Philippines, Latvia, Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro (Brazil advances)
• Spain Olympic Qualifying Tournament — Lebanon, Angola, Spain, Finland, Poland, Bahamas (Spain advances)
• Puerto Rico Qualifying Tournament — Mexico, Cote d’Ivoire, Lithuania, Italy, Puerto Rico, Bahrain (Puerto Rico advances)

How many NBA players are expected to compete in the 2024 Olympics?

Over 40 NBA players are expected to compete in the 2024 Olympics. The United States, Canada and Australia feature the most NBA players. See the full breakdown of every roster before the games begin.

What’s the format for the 2024 Olympic basketball 5-on-5 tournament?

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.

What are the rules differences between international basketball vs. the NBA? 

Our Olympics basketball 101 rules explainer has a detailed explanation on all the rules differences.

What’s the Group Stage schedule for Team USA?

Team USA men’s basketball will tip off Group C action with a matchup against Serbia on July 28.

Here’s the Group Stage schedule for Team USA:

The full schedule for the men’s basketball 5×5 tournament can be found here.

How will Team USA prepare for the 2024 Olympics?

Training camp for Team USA will be held in Las Vegas before exhibition matchups against Canada, Australia, Serbia, South Sudan and Germany. Here’s the full exhibition schedule for Team USA:

Are there rule differences between FIBA and the NBA?

Yes. Here are some of the major rule differences between FIBA and the NBA:

• Game time: Each quarter is 10 minutes, instead of 12 minutes in the NBA.
• 3-point line: The FIBA line is 6.75 meters, while the NBA line is 7.24 meters.
• Jump balls: FIBA uses an alternating possession arrow to determine jump balls.
• Individual foul limit: A player fouls out with five fouls in FIBA, versus six fouls in the NBA.
• Goaltending/Basket interference: Under FIBA rules, once the ball strikes the rim, any player can play the ball. In the NBA, this would be a violation.
• Zone defense: While legal in both leagues, FIBA does not enforce defensive three seconds like the NBA.
• Player numbers: NBA players can wear 00, 0 and 1-99 while in FIBA, players can wear any one or two-digit number (i.e. 01, 07, etc.)

Who is competing for Team USA in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament?

Men’s 3×3 team:

• Canyon Barry
• Jimmer Fredette 
• Kareem Maddox
• Dylan Travis 

Women’s 3×3 team:

• Cierra Burdick
• Dearica Hamby (replaces injured Cameron Brink)
• Rhyne Howard
• Hailey Van Lith

Which NBA players have won the most gold medals?

• Carmelo Anthony – 3 times (2008, ’12, ’16)
• Kevin Durant – 3 times (2012, ’16, ’21)

Which NBA players have appeared in the most Olympics?

• Spain’s Pau Gasol – 5 times (2004, ’08, ’12, ’16, ’21)

When was basketball first added to the Olympics?

Men’s basketball officially debuted as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, while women’s basketball debuted at the Montreal Games in 1976.

Which countries have medaled in basketball at the Olympics?

Here’s the complete medal history for men’s and women’s basketball at the Olympic games.