2024 Paris Olympics: 3x3 basketball schedule - games, dates, teams

Team USA are the favourites to retain their Olympic crown in the women’s 3x3 basketball tournament, while America’s men are also among the frontrunners as they seek gold on their debut in the event.

This is the second time that 3x3 basketball has been played at the Summer Games, having first been introduced in Tokyo in 2021.

How is 3x3 basketball played?

As the name suggests, the game involves two teams of three players. It is played on a half court, with both teams attacking the same basket when they are in possession. Baskets scored from behind the three-point line are only worth two points each in 3x3, and successful shots from inside the perimeter earn the attacking team one point, rather than the two points up for grabs in the conventional game.

The winner of a 3x3 basketball game is the team with the most points after 10 minutes, or the first team to reach 21 points.

What is the 3x3 tournament format at Paris 2024?

In both the men’s and women’s tournaments in Paris, all eight teams will play each other once in an opening pool phase, which begins on Tuesday, July 30. The top two finishers in the round-robin stage will qualify automatically for the semi-finals, while the countries in third to sixth place will go into a single-elimination play-in round to decide the final two teams in the knockout stage proper.

The winners of each single-elimination semi-final will then meet in the gold-medal match on Monday, August 5, while the losing semi-finalists will battle it out for the bronze earlier on the same day.

Who are the men’s, women’s 3x3 favourites?

In the inaugural edition of Olympic 3x3 basketball, the USA won eight out of nine games on their way to securing the title, with Kelsey Plum finishing up as the competition’s joint-top scorer on 55 points, alongside China’s Wang Lili. In the final, Stefanie Dolson bagged seven points as the Americans beat the ROC 18-15 at Aomi Urban Sports Park.

Three years on, the USA are the betting houses’ overwhelming favourites to secure back-to-back Olympic titles, with Jennifer Rizzotti’s team valued at -120 to -125 for victory. Their nearest challengers, according to the bookmakers, are Canada - who are back on +425 to +430.

In the men’s tournament, the USA are the second favourites behind 2021 bronze medallists Serbia, as Joe Lewandowski’s side prepare for their first taste of Olympic 3x3 basketball. The Stars and Stripes are priced at +170 to +200 to take gold in Paris, just behind Serbia’s valuation of +150 to +180.

Three years ago, the USA missed out on the 3x3 Olympic basketball event after failing to qualify for Tokyo, where Latvia were crowned the first ever men’s champions, beating the ROC 18-21 in the Japanese capital. This year, the title holders head into the Summer Games as third favourites, with odds of +470 to +500.

3x3 basketball at Paris 2024 - full schedule:

Tuesday, July 30

Women’s pool round: United States vs. Germany: 11:30 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Australia vs. Canada: Noon

Men’s pool round: Lithuania vs. Latvia: 12:35 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Netherlands vs. China: 1:05 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Azerbaijan vs. Spain: 3 p.m.

Women’s pool round: France vs. China: 3 p.m.

Men’s pool round: France vs. Poland: 4:05 p.m.

Men’s pool round: United States vs. Serbia: 4:35 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31

Women’s pool round: Australia vs. Germany: 11:30 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Canada vs. China: Noon

Men’s pool round: Latvia vs. Netherlands: 12:35 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Serbia vs. China: 1:05 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Spain vs. France: 3 p.m.

Women’s pool round: United States vs. Azerbaijan: 3 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Lithuania vs. France: 4:30 p.m.

Men’s pool round: United States vs. Poland: 4:35 p.m.

Thursday, August 1

Women’s pool round: China vs. Australia: 3 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Germany vs. Canada: 3:30 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Netherlands vs. Serbia: 4:05 a.m.

Men’s pool round: China vs. Latvia: 4:35 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Azerbaijan vs. France: 6:30 a.m.

Women’s pool round: United States vs. Australia: 7 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Poland vs. Lithuania: 7 a.m.

Men’s pool round: France vs. Netherlands: 8:05 a.m.

Women’s pool round: China vs. Spain: 12 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Germany vs. Azerbaijan: 12:30 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Lithuania vs. United States: 1:05 p.m.

Men’s pool round: China vs. Poland: 1:35 p.m.

Women’s pool round: United States vs. Spain: 3:30 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Canada vs. France: 4 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Serbia vs. France: 4:35 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Latvia vs. United States: 5:05 p.m.

Friday, August 2

Women’s pool round: Germany vs. China: 3 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Australia vs. Azerbaijan: 3:30 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Lithuania vs. China: 4:05 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Poland vs. Netherlands: 4:35 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Australia vs. Spain: 6:30 a.m.

Men’s pool round: France vs. United States: 7 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Netherlands vs. Lithuania: 7:35 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Latvia vs. France: 8:05 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Azerbaijan vs. China: 11:30 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Canada vs. United States: 12 p.m.

Women’s pool round: United States vs. France: 12:35 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Serbia vs. Latvia: 1:05 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Spain vs. Canada: 3 p.m.

Women’s pool round: Germany vs. France: 3:30 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Poland vs. Serbia: 4:05 p.m.

Men’s pool round: China vs. United States: 4:35 p.m.

Saturday, August 3

Women’s pool round: Canada vs. Azerbaijan: 11:30 a.m.

Women’s pool round: Spain vs. Germany: 12 p.m.

Women’s pool round: France vs. Australia: 12:35 p.m.

Women’s pool round: China vs. United States: 1:05 p.m.

Women’s play-in game: 3:30 p.m.

Women’s play-in game: 4:05 p.m.

Sunday, August 4

Men’s pool round: France vs. China: 11:30 a.m.

Men’s pool round: Latvia vs. Poland: 12:00 p.m.

Men’s pool round: Serbia vs. Lithuania: 12:35 p.m.

Men’s pool round: United States vs. Netherlands: 1:05 p.m.

Men’s play-in game: 3:30 p.m.

Men’s play-in game: 4:05 p.m.

Monday, August 5

Women’s semi-final: 11:30 a.m.

Women’s semi-final: 12:30 p.m.

Men’s semi-final: 12 noon

Men’s semi-final: 1:00 p.m.

Women’s bronze medal game: 3:00 p.m.

Men’s bronze medal game: 3:30 p.m.

Women’s gold medal game: 4:00 p.m.

Men’s gold medal game: 4:30 p.m.

2024 Olympics: how to watch in the USA

TV viewers in the United States can watch the Olympics on NBC Olympics, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock, as well as NBC sister channels including CNBC, E! and USA Network.