Basketball enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics basketball tournament, scheduled to kick off on Saturday, July 27th. Both the men’s and women’s competitions will commence on the same day, with 12 countries from each side vying for the prestigious gold medal.
The United States is widely regarded as the favorite to clinch victory in both categories. The star-studded lineups include basketball icons such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant on the men’s team, and A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi on the women’s team.
As the Group Stage matches get underway, The Sporting News is here to provide you with all the essential information on the Olympic basketball tournament format. Read on to understand how the format works:
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Olympic Basketball Tournament Format Explained
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 12 countries divided into groups of four. Each team will face off against the other three countries in their group. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-place teams, will progress to the eight-team knockout stage.
A draw will determine the quarterfinal matchups based on seeding, ensuring that teams from the same group do not compete against each other in the initial knockout round. The knockout stage will follow a standard single-elimination bracket format to determine the gold medalist.
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Olympics Men’s Basketball Standings
Group A
| Rank | Team | Record | Point Differential |
| 1. | Canada | 3-0 | +20 |
| 2. | Australia | 1-2 | -4 |
| 3. | Greece | 1-2 | -8 |
| 4. | Spain | 1-2 | -8 |
Olympic Men’s Basketball Schedule
- Group play: July 27-August 3
- Knockout stage: August 6 and August 8
- Gold-medal game: August 10
- Bronze-medal game: August 10