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How do they pick the olympic basketball team
How do they pick the olympic basketball team
History, top teams and all you need to know
Having introduced the sport to the world, it’s no surprise that the USA has produced some of the finest moments in Olympic basketball history, including the Dream Team.
Basketball was invented in the United States of America in 1891. But it didn’t take too long for the sport to become popular. Today, it’s one of the most-watched sports in the world.
Its rise can be traced back to its roots in a gym class in Springfield, Massachusetts, making its way into high school and colleges before evolving into a professional sport it is today. Eventually, it made its way to the sport’s grandest events.
When did basketball start in the Olympics?
Basketball was introduced in the Olympic programme at the 1904 Games in St Louis as a demonstration event. Basketball was first contested as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics. Women’s basketball, meanwhile, made its debut at the Montreal 1976 Games.![]()
3x3 basketball made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
Who qualifies for Olympic basketball?
A total of 12 teams, each in the men’s and the women’s competition, qualify for the basketball event at the Olympic Games.
While seven teams can gain entry through the FIBA World Cup, four slots are determined through the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament. The last remaining slot is reserved for the hosts.
Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in basketball?
The United States of America is the most successful team in the history of Olympics basketball.
The USA Olympic men’s basketball team has won the gold medal a record 16 times, which includes an unbeaten streak from 1936 to 1968.
The USA women’s basketball team, meanwhile, has pocketed the gold medal on nine occasions. This includes an unbeaten run that’s still in place and dates back to Atlanta 1996.
USA dominates Olympic basketball
Having invented the sport in the late 1800s, it was no surprise that the USA dominated basketball once it was included as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics.
With the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) playing a key role in spreading the sport to various nations, as many as 21 teams competed for the top honours at the Berlin 1936 Games.
But none could stand in the USA’s way as they romped home to emphatic wins in each of their matches to take home the gold.
The coming years saw the Americans grow stronger as they retained the Olympic title in commanding fashion. With no losses throughout their campaigns, their wins in the gold medal matches were most startling.
The USA basketball team beat France 65-21 in the final of the 1948 Games. The Soviet Union, meanwhile, lost to the Americans in the following four editions -- 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 -- with the champions recording dominating wins to retain their crown.
This period also saw the rise of the Soviet Union as a force in the international basketball scene.
The Soviets had made their presence felt at the continental stage by winning the biennial European Basketball Championships 10 times from 1951 to 1971 and the FIBA World Championships in 1972.
And when the 1972 Munich Olympics came around, their sole focus was to capture the only title missing from their cabinet -- an Olympic gold in basketball.
USA gets a shock at Munich Olympics
Coming into the Munich Olympics, the Americans were once again favourites to retain their title. But a look at their build-up suggested otherwise.
They had lost out to the Soviets in the final of the 1970 World University Games and bowed out of the 1971 Pan American Games without a medal.
What really hurt them in this phase was the lack of international experience in the squad. With the Olympic competition being restricted to amateurs, the best hoopsters in America were kept out of the Olympic team -- as they turned pro by joining the NBA -- while the top collegiate talent made up the squad.
Though this worked for the USA in the previous editions, this time the Soviets had found a way to exploit the American limitation by listing their players as soldiers or workers, which allowed them to breach the amateur rules.
This meant while the USA had high school sophomore Doug Collins and the North Carolina State University rookie Tommy Burleson as their best players, the Soviets rode on the brilliance of experienced stars Sergei Belov, Modestas Paulauskas and Alexander Belov.
However, it wasn’t until the gold medal game that the lack of experience came to haunt the USA.
Having come into the gold medal match without losing a game, the final was expected to be a close contest. But the Soviets had a different plan.
The USA lost to the Soviet Union in the final of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. (Getty Images)
The Soviet Union basketball team controlled the proceedings with smart ball play, often using the length of the court to stretch the American defence to score points at will. The Soviets scored first and led by the healthy margin of 26-21 at the half.
“We particularly struggled against the Russians because they were adept at controlling the tempo,” Mike Bantom, a member of the ’72 team, now senior vice president for NBA player development, told the New York Times.
While the Americans mounted a comeback in the second period it wasn’t until the final six minutes that they had their opponents in trouble.
Trailing by eight points, the Americans put pressure and saw the Soviets stumble, helping them reduce the gap to just a point with six seconds left on the clock.
Down to the wire for the gold medal, Doug Collins - the pillar of his team - was not done yet as he made a fine open-court steal and drove towards the paint before being knocked down.
The foul meant the Americans were awarded two free throws to seal the match. While Collins sank them both to put his side ahead, the Soviets called for a time-out.
The game resumed with a second left, and when that went by, the United States players started celebrating. But the drama was not over yet.
Moments later, the FIBA president was seen on court asking for a redo of the final three seconds due to a refereeing error.
This time though, the Soviets ensured that they made the most of the opportunity as Alexander Belov pulled out a buzzer-beater to subject the USA to their first loss at the Olympic stage.
Though the Americans appealed against the final decision, it was turned down as the Soviet Union won their maiden basketball Olympic crown.
The Dream Team
The coming years also saw a number of countries making the most of the loopholes in the amateur player rule to field top talents at the Olympics.
However, this changed in 1992 after FIBA ruled to include professionals for the Barcelona Olympics.
This allowed the USA to select what was later dubbed as the greatest sports team ever assembled.
The team featured the likes of NBA superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone among others.
The Dream Team, coached by Chuck Daly, a two-time NBA champion, had a pre-competition camp in Monaco and then moved into a luxury hotel in Barcelona, where they stayed during the Games.
The Dream Team dominated the Olympic competition, sailing through to win the gold medal. They were the first team to score 100 points in every match at the Games, something that led to their head coach commenting: “It was like Elvis and the Beatles put together.”
However, it’s the legacy that the team left behind that had a lasting impact on the popularity that basketball enjoys today.
Following Barcelona 1992, foreign recruits have been a major draw in the NBA with Yao Ming and Andrea Bargnani being the number one draft picks in (2002) and (2006) respectively. Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmpo have won the NBA MVP award since.
Olympic basketball winners: Men's
Men's Olympic basketball: All medallists| Olympics | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|
| Berlin 1936 | USA | Canada | Mexico |
| London 1948 | USA | France | Brazil |
| Helsinki 1952 | USA | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| Melbourne 1956 | USA | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| Rome 1960 | USA | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| Tokyo 1964 | USA | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| Mexico 1968 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Munich 1972 | Soviet Union | USA | Cuba |
| Montreal 1976 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Moscow 1980 | Yugoslavia | Italy | Soviet Union |
| Los Angeles 1984 | USA | Spain | Yugoslavia |
| Seoul 1988 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | USA |
| Barcelona 1992 | USA | Croatia | Lithuania |
| Atlanta 1996 | USA | Yugoslavia | Lithuania |
| Sydney 2000 | USA | France | Lithuania |
| Athens 2004 | Argentina | Italy | USA |
| Beijing 2008 | USA | Spain | Argentina |
| London 2012 | USA | Spain | Russia |
| Rio 2016 | USA | Serbia | Spain |
| Tokyo 2020 | USA | France | Australia |
Women’s basketball at the Olympics
While the men’s game has enjoyed a storied history under the Olympic banner, women’s basketball has a similarly rich vein of tales to tap into.
Making its debut at the 1976 Games in Montreal, women’s basketball has been a constant presence at the Olympics ever since.
The Soviet Union was the first to claim the Olympic title in the women’s category by beating the United States in the final at the 1976 Games. While the Soviets retained their crown at their home Games in 1980, the Americans took the gold medals in the following two Games.
In 1992, a Unified Team consisting of the former Soviet Republics beat China for the title.
The Americans, however, returned to regain their crown at Atlanta 1996 and have won the title at every edition since.
Olympic basketball winners: Women's
Women's Olympic basketball: All medallists| Olympics | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|
| Montreal 1976 | Soviet Union | USA | Bulgaria |
| Moscow 1980 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria | Yugoslavia |
| Los Angeles 1984 | USA | South Korea | China |
| Seoul 1988 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Barcelona 1992 | Unified Team | China | USA |
| Atlanta 1996 | USA | Brazil | Australia |
| Sydney 2000 | USA | Australia | Brazil |
| Athens 2004 | USA | Australia | Russia |
| Beijing 2008 | USA | Australia | Russia |
| London 2012 | USA | France | Australia |
| Rio 2016 | USA | Spain | Serbia |
| Tokyo 2020 | USA | Japan | France |
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Making the Cut: Choosing the U.
S. Men's Basketball Team | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
With the 2008 Olympics coming, USA Basketball has just released its roster. The problem? It’s 33 players long, only 12 of whom can be on the Olympic roster.
With an eight-year Gold Medal drought in the making, it’s time to figure out just which 12 of these players will lead the U.S.A. back to the basketball promised land?
With NBA stars like Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman and Manu Ginobili defecting to their home countries, this year's men's talent pool seems to be deeper than ever.
(For the record, I don't have a problem with NBA stars playing for their home countries. If every Euro and South American player played for the U.S., it just wouldn't be nearly as much fun to watch.)
For those of you saying “Wah wah, the U.S. hasn’t won in eight years, but you always get a medal,” two things: first of all, you’re obviously not American, so go back to your hole, commie. Second, we invented basketball.
We don’t do well in soccer, football isn’t overseas yet, and baseball is making its way over there. We should be dominating basketball because it is our sport.
It would be like if Japan started making better bourbon than us. It should never happen.
Delicious alcoholic diversions aside, let’s go down the roster spot by spot, and whittle those 33 down to 15, three for each position. Then we will cut the remaining three, and you will have you 2008 Men’s Gold Medal Basketball team.
POINT GUARD
Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Luke Ridnour, Jason Kidd, Kirk Hinrich
Here’s a general rule of thumb: if your team is about to move, or you're in danger of losing your job to the No. 1 pick, you probably aren’t going to help us win the gold. See ya, Ridnour and Hinrich.
Jason Kidd, while a once-in-a-generation player, is past his prime, especially when going up against run-and-gun Euro teams. Sorry J-Kidd, start working on helping Dirk get his ring.
Agent Zero, while a dynamic and unpredictable talent that could explode on the world stage, needs to get healthy. And since he just opted out, he’s not going to cost himself even more dough by showing and being slow on the court. Sorry, Gil.
That leaves us with: Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Chris Paul.
SHOOTING GUARD
Kobe Bryant, Joe Johnson, Michael Redd, J.J. Redick, Dwyane Wade
Call me crazy, but I think the best player on the planet in his prime is going to be an asset. You ain’t going nowhere, Black Mamba.
D-Wade, much like Arenas, needs to get himself healthy, for his sake and his team’s sake. Playing less than 100 percent isn’t going to help anything.
J.J. Redick. Now THAT’S funny.
Well, that was easy: Kobe Bryant, Joe Johnson, Michael Redd.
SMALL FORWARD
Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, Adam Morrison, Tayshaun Prince, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom
Here’s where it gets tricky.
With 12 spots standing between us and national pride, there is no room for lock down defense and threes, but nothing else. Bye bye, Bowen and Battier.
Adam Morrison, Tayshaun Prince and Mike Miller. Sorry, guys (especially you Tayshaun, you don’t deserve this company), but you’re not the type of game-breaking talent we need going after the gold.
Durant? Too young. He’ll have his chance, but we don’t know how badly he has been scarred by his situation. We can’t risk it.
Bron Bron. You better believe he’s in. If you think there is a person on earth (there sure as heck isn’t anyone in the NBA) that can stop the L-Train, I haven’t seen him. He’s going to eat those Euros and South Americans for lunch.
Now it gets tricky. We’re down to Odom, Pierce, ‘Melo and Marion for the last two spots.
Marion, while a great defensive talent, lacks the, how do we say, proper attitude. If he didn’t like being a second option in Phoenix, how is he going to fare with the best of the best.
They say defense wins championships, but good teamwork wins gold medals. Later, Matrix.
Here’s a big shock: One of the last two spots goes to Odom. While he’s not as dynamic as Kobe or Paul, he can play multiple positions, and he’s got the size and the speed to blow by some of those tiny Asians. While he’s not clutch, I’d rather have his versatility.
Pierce or ‘Melo? While it seems it should be obvious, remember ‘Melo plays his best ball on Team America. That being said, we’ve got enough offensive firepower, we need some D. Pierce is clutch enough and intimidating enough that he will be a great weapon. Although losing 'Melo is probably the hardest decision in this whole discussion.
We did it: LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom.
POWER FORWARDS
Elton Brand, Antawn Jamison, Nick Collison, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh
I don’t know whether to be mad or happy that Tim Duncan isn’t on the list. Sure, this would be the only time I would ever root for him, but it leaves the third spot open for someone else.
Brand and Collison, bye bye. Jamison can jump shoot, run the floor, and also dominate the boards. He stays. And there’s no question about Boozer or Bosh. Yet.
Power Forward: Antawn Jamison, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh.
CENTER
Dwight Howard, Brad Miller, Greg Oden, Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler
As much as I like token white guys, not when the gold is on the line, sorry, Brad Miller.
Oden. Yeah, right. As good as he will be, I’m not going to trust him in the Olympics when he hasn’t played a minute in the NBA.
Can you imagine Chris Paul playing with Chandler and Howard? Why, that’s 50 points worth of alley-oops right there.
Imagine the Nash-style feeds that Paul can give Stoudemire, where he barrels through the paint like a runaway freight train? Can anyone stop that?
Centers: Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard.
All right, we’re down to 15. Time to lose three guys. Anyone could be cut next, except for Kobe, Chris Paul and LeBron, because, well, get serious.
Joe Johnson. Sorry, dude. I like you, but we’ve got some great guards, and it’s not like an extra SF can’t play the 2. Peace.
CB4. Even sorrier. I love watching him, but he’s got some maturing to do, not personally, but his game does. Boozer is a one man wrecking crew, and Jamison could be great at EuroBall, for reasons explained above.
Finally, see ya Deron Williams. What? How could this be? One of the best young PGs on the game? Yeah, it has to be this way. You don’t need three point guards, and you don’t want Paul and Williams leading the team, as good as they are they don’t have the experience.
And I know people said that about the Hornets, but its different on the world stage. Billups is still Mr. Big Shot, he can run all sorts of teams, and he will be a good backup to Chris Paul.
So here is your 2008 USA Men’s Basketball Team:
GUARDS
Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Michael Redd
FORWARDS
LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, Antawn Jamison
CENTERS
Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire
Can you imagine the crunch-time lineup of Paul, Kobe, Bron Bron, Boozer and Dwight Howard?
How about a small ball lineup of: Billups, Redd, Pierce, Odom and Stoudemire?
How about a board dominating big man lineup of: Paul, Kobe, LBJ, Jamison and Chandler?
How about a shoot-the-lights-out lineup of Redd, Kobe, Pierce, Jamison and Stoudemire?
How about a gritty-low post lineup of Kobe, Pierce, Odom, Boozer and Chandler?
How about a lockdown defensive lineup of Paul, Kobe, Pierce, Boozer and D-Ho?
Is there any style of basketball that group couldn't play, and play well? I don't think so.
Coach K, I hope you're reading this. I know I want the gold.
How athletes qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics
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When will the 2024 Games take place? What sports will be in Paris? How is the selection of athletes? Now we'll tell you.
(Photo © 2021 Getty Images)
What is the Olympic Games?
The Olympic Games are the world's largest multi-sport events. They take place every four years, unless extraordinary circumstances intervene.
The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens 1896 following the example of the ancient Greek Olympics.
The idea was embodied by Pierre de Coubertin , the father of the modern Olympic movement.
The Olympic Games are hosted by International Olympic Committee (IOC) . The headquarters of the IOC is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The President of the IOC is Thomas Bach .
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed for a year and ended on August 8, 2021.
The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris 2024 .
What sports compete in the Olympics?
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games there will be 32 sports . More than ten thousand athletes from more than 200 countries will compete for 306 sets of medals.
Breaking was successfully presented at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, and will make its Olympic debut in Paris.
These 32 sports are:
Rowing badminton basketball (including 3x3 basketball), boxing , wrestling , breaking , cycling (track cycling, road cycling, mountain biking, BMX freestyle, BMX racing), water sports (swimming, polo, , swimming marathon, diving, synchronized swimming), volleyball (including beach volleyball), handball , gymnastics (trampoline, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics), golf , rowing and canoeing , Judo , Horse sport , Light athletics , table tennis , Sailing Sport , rugby-7 , Serfing , , Modern Pyalobeine, Modern Pyalo-Pyalo, Pentilet Pentiles, Modern Pyalo-Penteleza, Modern Pyalo Pentalle archery , shooting , tennis , triathlon , taekwondo , weightlifting, fencing , grass hockey
What is the age limit for participants?
International federations of specific sports set age limits.
For example, the age of participants in boxing competitions must be between 18 and 39 years old. Mira Potkonen, who was forty at the time of the Tokyo Olympics, was given a special permit, as the Games were postponed for one year. This allowed her to win a medal at the second Olympic Games in a row.
Gymnastics has no maximum age limit, but athletes must be at least 16 years of age in the year of the Olympics.
The Men's Football Tournament is a competition for players under 23 years of age, but each team can enter three players outside the age limit.
Some sports do not have a minimum age limit. Thus, the 12-year-old Syrian Hand Zaza , the youngest athlete in Tokyo 2020, participated in the women's table tennis tournament.
Another 12-year-old Japanese athlete, Kokona Hiraki , became the youngest Olympic medalist. The skateboarder took silver in the park discipline.
Silver Hiraki Cocoons in the snowboard park (2021 Getty Images)
How is the selection process for the Olympics?
Various formats.
The method of qualification depends on the sport and is determined by the international federations.
Some sports, such as shooting and taekwondo, have National Olympic Committee quotas that depend on the performance of individual athletes. In addition, each NOC may choose another athlete to participate in the Olympics.
In team sports, countries earn berths through successful performances in world championships and continental competitions, or qualifying tournaments at the continental or world level. At the Olympic Games, eight to twelve teams will participate in team sports.
Who selects athletes for the Olympic Games?
Athletes are selected by National Olympic Committees, which are responsible for their support and participation in the Olympic Games.
One year before the Opening Ceremony, the IOC sends invitations to all National Committees, who then apply for the Olympic Games. The IOC subsequently approves or otherwise decides on these applications.
Athletes must comply with the Olympic Charter, including the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code of Conduct against Competition Manipulation.
When is the next Olympic Games?
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
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2020 | Basketball: everything you need to know about the Olympic tournament whose history has preserved both the name of the inventor and the exact date of birth. The game, the meaning of which is to throw the ball into baskets suspended on special structures, was invented in 1892 year Canadian schoolteacher
James Naismith .
Basketball entered the official program of the Olympic Games in 1936 in Berlin, although it was present at the 1904 Games as a demonstration discipline. The first Olympic women's basketball tournament was held in 1976 in Montreal.
Schedule and dates
25 July - 8 August. Full schedule here.
The basketball tournament is traditionally one of the longest at the Olympics. It will begin the day after the opening ceremony, with the final match of the women's tournament taking place in Tokyo on the closing day of the Games.
Medal sets: 2
Competitions: Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament
Arena
The Olympic men's and women's basketball tournaments will be held at Saitama Super Arena, located in the suburbs of Tokyo, with a capacity of 21,000 spectators. One of the most modern sports arenas in Japan has already hosted many of the largest sports events - in particular, the world championships in basketball and figure skating.
Tournament rules and structure
Basketball is played by two teams, each of which can have five players on the court at the same time. The goal of the game is to throw the ball into the opponent's ring, which is at a height of 305 centimeters. Accurate throws have different values: one point is awarded to a team for hitting without resistance from the free throw line after an opponent foul, two points for hitting a field goal, three points for hitting a field goal from a long distance (from behind an arc located at a distance 675 centimeters from the ring).
The size of the court in this sport is 28 by 15 meters. A basketball match consists of 4 periods of 10 minutes. In case of a draw in regular time, an additional period of 5 minutes is assigned to determine the winner.
The Tokyo Olympics for men and women will each have 12 teams, and the formula for the men's and women's tournaments is the same. At the preliminary stage, the teams are divided into three groups of four teams, and according to the results of round-robin tournaments in groups of two best teams and two more best third-placed teams advance to the playoffs. Quarter-final pairs and the entire playoff bracket will be based on the ranking of teams based on the results of group tournaments.
The success of the Russians and who to follow in Tokyo
In the entire history of the Russian team, only once was able to win Olympic medals - it happened in 2012 in London, when the Russian team became the third. But the basketball players of the USSR national team under the guidance of legendary coaches won the gold of the Olympics twice: in 1972 in Munich, the team Vladimir Kondrashin won the legendary final against the US team with the famous decisive hit Alexander Belov in the last second of the game, and in 1988 in Seoul the gold medals were won by the USSR national team, led by Alexander Gomelsky .
In addition, the Soviet team won silver medals at the Olympics four times and bronze three times.
In the women's tournament, the basketball players of the Russian national team twice climbed the Olympic podium, in 2004 and in 2008 winning bronze medals. Their predecessors, as well as in men's competitions, have more significant achievements, and they have three victories at the Olympics. In 1976 in Montreal and in 1980 in Moscow, the USSR team won the first two women's Olympic tournaments in history, and in 19In 1992, in Barcelona, the team that competed at those Games under the name "CIS United Team" won gold. Also in the asset of the women's team of the USSR, the bronze of the Olympics in Seoul in 1988.
There will be no ROC basketball teams at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo: neither men nor women could qualify for the main start of the four years.
Traditionally, at the Olympic Games of the last decades, the performance of the US team is of particular interest.
Since 1992, when the best players in the world from the National Basketball Association were allowed to play in the Olympic competitions, the American Dream Team (“dream team”) has only once been left without Olympic gold - in 2004, the Argentine team won a sensational victory in Athens. The US team will also be a clear favorite of the Olympics at the Tokyo Games, where the next version of the Dream Team will perform, led by forward Kevin Durant .
In the women's Olympic basketball tournament, the historical list of teams that have become Olympic champions is quite short. In addition to the already mentioned victories of the basketball players of the USSR and the Joint Team of the CIS, only one team won the gold of the Games - the US team. She has won eight Olympics, including all five previous Olympic tournaments. The chances of the US women's team to win another victory in Tokyo are very high, and only the Australians and four European teams selected for the Games - France, Spain, Belgium and Serbia - can compete with them in Tokyo.
