Olympic champion USA faces France, Iran in Tokyo group stage
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games logo is seen in Tokyo on January 28, 2021. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Olympic basketball champions the United States will face France and Iran in the men’s group stages of the Tokyo Olympics following Tuesday’s draw.
Host nation Japan will have European powerhouses Spain for company.
Article continues after this advertisementThe US team is seeking its fourth consecutive men’s basketball gold and 16th in total after seeing off Serbia for the title in Rio 2016 and the Spanish in London and Beijing in 2012 and 2008.
👇 The groups of the #Tokyo2020 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament!#Basketball @Olympics @Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Egiicj7Fw3
— FIBA (@FIBA) February 2, 2021
Joining the mighty US, France and Iran in Group A will be the winner of Greece, China, Canada, Uruguay, Czech Republic and Turkey from a qualifying event in Victoria, Canada in late June.
Article continues after this advertisementThe men’s competition in Tokyo begins on July 25, three days after the scheduled conclusion of the NBA finals.
Watch LIVE the Draw for the Olympic Basketball Tournaments! #Tokyo2020 #Basketball https://t.co/lO9zEal7SB
— FIBA (@FIBA) February 2, 2021
The draw at the International Basketball Federation’s headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, pitted Spain and Japan with Argentina, bronze medallists in 2008 with Group C completed by the winner of a qualifying event in Kaunas consisting of Lithuania, South Korea, Venezuela, Poland, Slovenia and Angola.
Australia, who can call on several NBA players, is in Group B with Nigeria and two other teams decided by qualifying events in Split (Germany, Russia, Mexico, Tunisia,Croatia and brazil) and in Belgrade (Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Italy, Senegal).
