Paris Olympics: What to know, who to watch during 3X3 basketball
3×3 Basketball athletes Canyon Barry, Jimmer Fredette, and Kareem Maddox speak during the Team USA Media Summit at Marriott Marquis Hotel on April 17, 2024 in New York City. Dustin Satloff/Getty Images for the USOPC/AFP
A roadmap to follow for the 3X3 basketball competition during the Paris Games:
Athletes to Watch
—Jimmer Fredette, United States: The 35-year-old Fredette, who became a superstar at BYU and was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, headlines the American men’s team. He began playing 3X3 in 2022 and was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2023.
—Canyon Barry, United States: The son of Hall of Famer Rick Berry played collegiately at the College of Charleston and Florida. He was the 2017 Academic All-American of the Year and has a bachelor’s degree in physics and master’s degree in nuclear engineering. He is known for his unorthodox underhand free-throw shooting, which helped him shoot 88.3% from the line as a senior.
READ: Duncan Robinson also eyeing 3×3 event at Paris Olympics
—Strahinja Stojacic, Serbia: Stojacic started playing 3X3 full time in 2018 and has been ranked as the world’s top player for most of the past two seasons. The son of a professional basketball player, Stojacic is known for his epic dunks and is nicknamed “Doctor Strange.”
—Cameron Brink, United States: Though the women’s team hasn’t been announced, Brink is a top contender for the squad. She was named MVP of the 2023 FIBA 3X3 Women’s World Cup after leading the United States to a gold medal. She won a national championship at Stanford in 2021 and was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in this year’s WNBA draft.
—Hailey Van Lith, United States: Van Lith is another contender for the U.S. roster after also helping the team win gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Van Lith, who plays at TCU, was named MVP of the 2019 FIBA 3X3 Under-18 World Cup after leading the team to a gold medal.
READ: USA women take first Olympic 3×3 basketball gold; Latvia wins men’s title
Storylines to Follow
—The U.S. men’s team will compete in the event for the first time after failing to qualify in the inaugural contest in Tokyo. The addition of Fredette has vaulted the team to gold medal contenders this time around after the USA won silver at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and gold at both the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup in Miami and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
—Only one member of the U.S. women’s team, which won gold in Tokyo, has a chance to defend the title under new eligibility rules for the Olympics. Team members and WNBA stars Kelsey Plum, Stefanie Dolson and Jackie Young can’t compete because none of them are ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. Allisha Gray is the lone member of the team in contention for a spot in Paris.
—Serbia is ranked No. 1 in the world and is expected to contend with the United States for gold after winning bronze in Tokyo. Led by Stojacic, Serbia beat Team USA 21-19 to win the last World Cup.
Key Dates
Pool play runs from July 30-Aug. 4. Semifinals and medal games are Aug. 5.
Reigning Champions
Women: United States.
Men: Latvia.
