PARIS (AP) — In a basketball at the 2024 Olympics, in a clash between teams that won gold and bronze medals, a veteran hoopsman deflected a long-range shot to make the score 3-3.
His team’s fans applauded. Lots of neutrals too. It’s like almost any other moment on hard terrain. Then, through the speaker, the sound system. The announcer said: “3-3, like brie brie!”
It was the Netherlands who faced Lithuania in the more relaxed and friendly 3×3 basketball tour callnt (officially pronounced “three ex three”), played for the second time in an Olympic Games and for the first time as planned: in front of a full field of spectators. . fans, with two announcers-presenters exchanging puns and relaying observations in English and French, with a DJ playing pop songs non-stop during the game, and rarely with a recognizable call on the field.
Over the past two weeks, I attended seven Olympic 3×3 basketball games. I searched for an answer to the question that arises every time a new trendy game is added to the Olympic menu: does it belong here?In the case of the 3×3, with a festive atmosphere inside the arena but with many complaints from the outside, the answer turns out to be: it depends on what you are looking for.
Words like “urban” and “youth culture” are used in articles and press releases about the addition of 3×3 to the Games, and the explanation for why the Olympic Committee added it seems to stem from a preference for making the Games more modern. The Summer and Winter Games have added more new games in recent decades, such as beach volleyball (in Atlanta in 1996), skiing (in Nagano in 1998), and skateboarding, games, and surfing (in Tokyo in 2020).
Despite being touted by the IOC as “the most played urban team game in the world”, this FIBA-approved 3×3 edition made its official debut until the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, when FIBA oversaw a global tour, a World Cup. Cup and much more.
Advocates got their chance at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where 3×3 debuted as part of an overall “urban festival” concept aimed at more “urban” games, such as the aforementioned newcomers skateboarding and climbing, as well like remains like BMX.
Then COVID-19 hit and that vision was necessarily shattered. The venue was still built and those sports were still contested, but instead of thousands of enthusiasts being enthralled by the tense action, the 3×3 visited via Jill Biden, Emmanuel Macron and a few others.
Biden “brought all the energy,” U. S. star Kelsey Plum said after a match, but organizers imagined the first American girl and the French president were guilty of generating hype. Also Macron, who told L’Equipe: “We all hope that there will be more atmosphere in Paris. “
There was.
Paris has redeveloped Plos angelesce de los angeles Concorde, a famous (or unrecognized) public square known as that of the guillotine of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, into “Parc Urbain”, a massive 25,000-seat complex that houses the 3x3Array Official BMX. Skate and break competitions.
Fans with tickets to a game can simply show up at the height of their occasion and, once it’s over, hang out at the park, perhaps walk to some other nearby play spot and cran their necks to watch another competition. The domain included activities and entertainment; Fans can even play basketball at transient hoops. For those who didn’t have access to tickets for fast-track events, the Games only sold admission to the park, which charges just under $30 extra, and while they didn’t allow sitting down to any of the competitions, they still presented the possibility of watching Olympic action (medal rounds) from close distances, for relatively little money.
It may not sound that exciting in theory, but it was a pretty impressive and electric setup, especially at night when the open goal of the 3×3 stadium was packed with status supporters. And judging by the fact that Urban Park tickets for The Last Days of 3×3 sold out within seconds of their release on the official Olympic resale site, Parisian enthusiasts enjoyed the spectacle.
Inside the 3,900-seat 3×3 pop-up arena, which was outdoors but covered to protect players and the grey box from the elements, the atmosphere was jovial, providing a combination of popular Olympic festivities and a simulated “street” feel. and a distinctive French character.
With up to 8 nations competing in the same session of four matches, the stands welcomed fans dressed in all colours, although, with the French men’s and women’s groups on the field, those of the French religion tended to compensate. the majority.
During the game, English-speaking presenter Knowa Lazarus and his French-speaking counterpart Vincent Royet kept the verbal exreplace going, all with a soundtrack via DJ Lass. Lazarus rounded out the puns, rhymes, and puns discussed above that followed key moments: ranging from credits for “cutting money out of glass” to location-specific reactions like “wetter than the French Riviera” and “buttery soft like a croissant in the morning. “(Royet joined in from time to time, such as when he suggested to Lazarus to replace his call “Okay!”for “Okay!”)
Lass, on the other hand, played new global hits, but also adapted some music to the countries involved; When the Spanish were betting against Australia, he played a song with Spanish singer Álvaro Soler and then played “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC.
And then there was that undeniable French character. Royet spent much of his time turning on the local audience, holding a sheet of paper marked “FRANCE” in front of a nearby camera; the crowd screamed and screamed every time. (When he presented a paper for Germany, he provoked enthusiastic boos; Germany was the only country to be booed in any of the seven matches. ) Then there was the music between games, which presented a genuine window into the culture. If you think Americans know and love “Sweet Caroline,” wait until you know; Listen to thousands of French people of all ages, mercifully, sing Joe Dassin’s “Les Champs-Élysées” or passionately sing Johnny Hallyday’s catchy epic “Que Je T’aime. “»
But how do they like earrings?
In 2017, when 3×3 was announced as an Olympic sport, then-FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann cited Rucker Park as inspiration. That’s not all. And needless to say, 3×3 isn’t like competitive 5v5, which, even with its foreign quirks, more or less resembles the NBA product.
It has some of the features of playground hoops – games are played to 21, the ball will have to cross the three-point line before the opposing team can begin to take ownership – but many fundamental differences. In the 3×3 Olympics, there is a 12-second throw timer. There is no control for initiating ownership, nor a “take it, take it” rule; As soon as a basket is made, the shot clock starts and the opposing team will have to temporarily move the ball beyond the arc. Even the ball is different, smaller than a regulation men’s ball but weighs the same.
This setup creates a more chaotic frenzy than the well-known free-flowing spectacle that streetball is known for. Stops are infrequent and the speed is relentless; France coach Karim Souchu called it “cardiobasketball” in 2021. Backdoor cuts and back-and-forths prefer iso-ball. Mates exist but are very widespread. “Hero” clichés are less a goal than a necessity. There will be some very nasty jerks at the end of the 12 seconds.
What most outdoor games offer is the physical aspect. Manual checks and access are most commonly allowed, there can be frustrating inconsistency between referees. (During a women’s match between France and Germany, an angry German fan loudly declared the absence of fouls “Stupid!” while complaining in English to some Dutch enthusiasts nearby. )
“It’s just a tough match,” American player Hailey Van Lith told ESPN. “It’s difficult. It’s for difficult people. You can’t be comfortable and play. “
Matches last 10 minutes, regardless of whether a team has played 21 or not. Three-pointers count as two, and two-point shots count as one. A shooting foul (and fouls are penalized) on a “pointer” entitles you to one loose throw, however, if your team accumulates six fouls, each subsequent infraction entitles the opposing team to two throws. That’s two more shots owned after the ninth foul. And the games end quickly. Blink and you could miss a 3v3 final, like the impressive men’s gold medal match with its excellent overtime winner from the Dutchman Worthy de Jong (named, yes, after James Worthy). At 5-on-5, with all the fouls, loose shots, timeouts, and critiques, you can fall asleep a little and still make up the finish.
These factors, together, tend to prolong matches and create many opportunities for surprises. And yet, only the biggest 3×3 evangelists would claim that these are state-of-the-art hoops. There’s a sloppy side, and because of FIBA rules, you’re not looking at the most productive basketball players in the world, and it shows.
Already in 2019, observers pointed to disorders in this nascent game. This continued in Tokyo, but intensified at the Paris Games, where 3×3 was labeled a “waste” and even derisively described as a “sport” (in scary quotes) that “sucks. “
Some reviewers were careful to point out that they were simply looking to make the gameplay better, with advice ranging from a longer timer to implementing the aforementioned “make it, take it” rule. But I feel like a lot of the court cases would be a lot smoother if there were just bigger players in the tournament, especially on the US team.
At the Tokyo Games, the Americans won gold. Other than that, it’s been a tough time for the Americans in 3×3 at the Olympics. In Paris, the women lost their first 3 matches – unlike Germany, Azerbaijan and Australia – before returning to a 4-3 record in pool play. But a loss to Spain in the semi-finals relegated them to the bronze medal against Canada (which they won).
For men it is much worse. In Paris, they won just two games out of seven, adding up to a 21-6 loss to the Netherlands, and missed the 16-out round. And in Tokyo, a wonderful qualification prevented them from participating in the Games.
Meanwhile, the women’s 3×3 gold medalist in Paris, Germany; Her women’s 5-on-5 team has never won an Olympic medal. The men’s gold medalist in 3×3 in Paris, Netherlands; its men’s 5-on-5 team has not even competed in the Olympics.
Why is the United States, whose 5-on-5 men’s and women’s groups seem unbeatable, rarely better?This is due to FIBA rules, which require the competition to have express qualification issues that can only be obtained by participating in official 3×3 events.
So the US couldn’t just take 4 of the most productive players who weren’t on Paris’ final 5v5 roster and deploy them at 3v3. Well, that might be the case if those NBA players participated in the required events, but there is little incentive for high-paid NBA players to go to remote locations to play 3×3. Instead, their men’s team was largely made up of unknown FIBA 3×3 Tour regulars (with one exception). This included audio maker Kareem Maddox, crafty free throw taker (and son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry) Canyon Barry and, in notable exception, Jimmer Fredette, who moved to 3×3 in 2022, the rare former NBA player in an official. 3×3 tournament. Training
However, Fredette’s Games did not last long due to an early injury. Stuck with only 3 players because no injury substitutions are allowed, the United States exited quietly.
Such a lack of star power has led to a venerable investigation by the Americans into how to attract more important players to the team. (Unsurprisingly, Ice Cube has been asking for the Big3 players to be included for years. )
But even if the United States had a more talented team, victory would not be guaranteed in this format. Latvia, the reigning gold medalists, looked unbeatable at the start of the competition, but did not even win a medal. Serbia, the current bronze medalists, dominated Poland so much in their organization that they were destined for the podium; They didn’t even make it to the semi-finals. Before Tokyo, the 3×3 stars said their NBA rivals would not quickly rule the competition, especially if they did not have time to relax.
This can be noticed on the women’s side, where shorter, less lucrative professional seasons allow some WNBA players to play 3×3 while looking for every hoop opportunity. The talented Tokyo team, which included 4 players who have been WNBA All-Stars, won the gold medal. But in Paris, although the United States still has two WNBA players (Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby, both All-Stars), they lost 40% of their games in the direction of third place. According to ESPN, Solo jointly hosted WNBA All-Star weekend and only had two weeks of practice. On the pitch, his lack of chemistry and delight with the format was visible.
“We’re the ultimate green team here,” former WNBA player Cierra Burdick told USA Today during the tournament. “We have a lot of skill, a lot of talent, but that doesn’t win 3×3 games. “
“We’re betting against the most commonly professional players in 3-on-3,” Van Lith told ESPN. “The United States is the only country that has not moved towards this. All those women play, they are paid across their country to play 3 instead of 3 full time. And in the United States, five against five is culture. It’s as if that’s what we’re doing. It’s our side job.
FIBA, if it wishes, could simply reposition the regulations to allow the biggest stars, or even the Ice Cube 3v3 specialists, to play. But the Olympics are not designed for the United States. There are rules in place in many sports that save you. a single country accumulates too many medals.
“They don’t just need basketball powerhouses to compete in 3×3,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in 2017, when 3×3 was first announced as an Olympic game. When Mongolia qualified in the women’s 3×3 event, marking the first time that country sent a team to the Olympics, it was an example of the game working as intended.
Even the setting is not especially designed for an American audience. No one would guess that emcee Lazarus, despite traditions like giving players nicknames (like “Doctor Strange” for Serbian Strahinja Stojačić), turns out to be straight out of Rucker. Few would confuse the Urban Park with an original urban park, without entrances and with many degrees of security necessary to enter.
For better or worse, those are the Olympic Games. He brings rare disciplines to the forefront and turns beyond the unknown into John Wick-like stars, cat-daddy and squeaky voices.
It also allows athletes to revel in unforgettable moments, whether it’s the Germans hugging Dirk Nowitzki after winning his gold medal, or China’s Zhang Ning dazzling in front of the American men, or Barry having stellar moments and surpassing his circle of ultra-accomplished relatives through being the first Olympian. The Games are for other people like Rae Lin D’Alie, a Wisconsin local who competed for Italy in the 2020 3×3 competition, and told her local newspaper, after learning she was heading to Tokyo: “For two hours straight, I said, ‘I’m an Olympian, I’m an Olympian. ‘
The 3×3 has already been announced as a component of the Los Angeles 2028 program. Although the location has not yet been officially revealed, some of the 3×3 will head to Venice Beach, one of the most notorious street basketball venues in the world. It deserves to be a fun component.
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Patrick T. Dorsey is the producer and producer of the feature film FUTURE DATE, which had its world premiere at the 2024 Cinequest Film Festival and won the Audience Award for Best Comedy Feature. You can hear it on Thursdays on Defector Trivia, when Diana Moskovitz yells, “Baaaaaaaaabe!