OLYMPICS

USA men’s basketball team: 2024 Olympic Games in Paris games and full schedule

USA Basketball got Paris 2024 to a positive start with a comfortable win over Serbia in their opening group game. Let’s take a look at who they will face next.

THOMAS COEXAFP

Many are calling it the best basketball team assembled since the Dream Team dazzled in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. This year’s Team USA have their sights set on a fifth straight gold medal and a handful of individual records.

Steve Kerr’s team started as they mean to go on with an 84-110 win over Serbia in their opening group game on Saturday. The result puts the US top of Group C with a points difference of +26, ahead of South Sudan (+11).

Star studded squad in Paris

After a disappointing showing in last summer’s FIBA World Cup, the biggest stars in the country came together and committed to reminding the world who has the best basketball players in the world. There has been an huge influx of foreign talent that has started to take over the NBA, but the US has always had international competitions to fall back on when they need to demonstrate their dominance.

That hasn’t been in the case in the last few years. The American’s finished third in the World Cup last year, and while they won gold in Tokyo Olympics in 2021, there is a sense that the founders of basketball are starting to lose their stranglehold on the game. LeBron James, Steph Curry and Joel Embiid are intent on changing that narrative in Paris as the US looks for their fifth straight gold and 17th gold overall in the Olympic Games.

Team USA start out in a difficult group that features Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico but they are favorites to finish top of the group and favorites to take the gold medal in Paris.

Pre Olympic prep tour

A stacked field of 12 teams await the Americans in Paris, as the rest of the world will be looking to snap their streak of four straight golds. Before the Americans set their sights on France, we will get our first glimpse at the team in the USA Basketball Showcase. Coach Steve Kerr started camp in Las Vegas, where the Americans played their first game of the Showcase against Canada before heading to Abu Dhabi.

Team USA handled a talented Canada side in the first exhibition before struggling against Australia in their first game in Abu Dhabi. Team USA’s game with the Boomers came down to the wire after the Americans almost blew a 20 point second half lead. Tyrese Haliburton had to hit two clutch threes to seal the game, but the Aussies showed that the rest of the world is coming after them in Paris.

Paris 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Groups

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

On a positive note, the US has already overcome perhaps the toughest test they will face in the early stages of the tournament. After beating Nikola Jokic and Serbia, next up are South Sudan, who are level on points in second position. That game takes place at Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Wednesday, July 31st, tipping off at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12 noon PT.

The United States wrap up the group stage on Saturday, August 3rd, meeting Puerto Rico - once again at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. That game begins at 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT.

Team USA's games at 2024 Paris

Sunday, July 28th

  • Serbia 84-110 USA

Wednesday, July 31st

  • USA vs. South Sudan, 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 3rd

  • Puerto Rico vs. USA, 11:15 a.m.

Quarterfinals - Tuesday, August 6th

  • Teams TBD, 5:00 a.m.
  • Teams TBD, 8:30 a.m.
  • Teams TBD, Noon
  • Teams TBD, 3:30 p.m. 

Semifinals - Thursday, August 8th

  • TBD vs. TBD, 11:30 a.m.
  • TBD vs. TBD, 3:00 p.m.

Bronze medal match - Saturday, August 10th

  • Loser of semifinal 1 vs. Loser of semifinal 2, 5:00 a.m.
  • Gold medal match - Saturday, August 10th
  • Winner of semifinal 1 vs. Winner of semifinal 2, 3:30 p.m.

The top two teams in each of the three groups automatically advance to the quarter finals along with the the two best third-placed teams.

The quarter final pairings will be decided by a draw with seeded teams to face unseeded teams. All of the quarter final games will be played at Accor-Bercy Arena on Tuesday 6 August.

The semi-finals will take place two days later and the final and match for bronze on Saturday 10 August.

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