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IOC Adds 3-On-3 Basketball For 2020 Olympics

June 9th 2017 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that three-on-three basketball will be added to the Olympic program for the 2020 games in Tokyo, according to Graham Dunbar of The Associated Press. The change is one of many being made for the 2020 Olympics in an attempt to give the event a more “youthful and urban appeal.”

According to Dunbar, the new three-on-three basketball competition will feature 64 players in total, with eight teams apiece for men and women — that works out to four players per squad. Assuming the Olympic event adopts the rules established by FIBA for three-on-three play, it will be a half-court game with one- and two-point shots, as well as a 12-second shot clock. The game ends after a 10-minute period, or when one team reaches 21 points.

While the event sounds intriguing, there are a number of questions that still require answers. The format and location of the competition aren’t yet known, and it’s not clear how countries will qualify for one of the eight Olympic spots.

It will also be interesting to see what sort of players participate in the three-on-three competition. The United States, along with a handful of other countries, could put together any number of tantalizing four-player teams for the competition, but it remains to be seen if any NBA players will participate in the event (or be permitted to) — particularly since many of the top players will be taking part in traditional five-on-five Olympic basketball.

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