2021 Olympics Fan Guide: Everything you need to know about 3×3 basketball

Olympic hoops get a unique new spin with the debut of 3×3 basketball at the 2021 Olympics. Here’s what you need to know to dive in.

Basketball is fun but getting nine other players together can be an organizational challenge and for most of us, the basketball we play most often doesn’t look a lot like the professional version we see at the Olympics. That’s why it’s going to be so exciting to see the debut of 3×3 basketball events at this year’s games.

2021 Olympics: The elevator pitch for 3×3 basketball

A 3×3 version of basketball may seem like a lesser offering and the vibe definitely has a bit more informality than the up-and-down games we’re so used to watching on television. But dressing it down a bit doesn’t make it any less fun. The players are still elite talents and while we’re sacrificing some fast-break shenanigans with a halfcourt game, fewer players mean more space for back-cuts, creative drives, alley-oops and step-back 3s. It’s all the basketball plays you love (and a few you’ve probably never seen before) in a smaller, faster package.

2021 Olympics: The rules summary for 3×3 basketball

Olympic 3×3 basketball may seem like a relative of the casual pick-up games you play at your local gym, but there’s plenty of structure. Teams play on halfcourt and the play doesn’t stop after a made basket, only after a dead ball, although they must bring the ball back beyond the 3-point arc after a change of possession. Each team has three players on the court, obviously, with a single sub available.

Teams play to 21 points, by 1- and 2-pointers, with a 10-minute clock. If neither team has reached 21 points or if the score is tied at 21 at the end of 10 minutes, they play sudden-death overtime, with the first team to 2 points winning. Be warned, the games move fast.

2021 Olympics: 3×3 basketball teams and athletes to know

Both the men’s and women’s teams for the US will have some familiar faces, although maybe more for college basketball fans on the men’s side. The men’s team features Robbie Hummel (Purdue and a brief NBA career), Dominique Jones (Fort Hays State University), Joey King (University of Minnesota) and Kareem Maddox (Princeton). The men’s team is highly ranked, No. 2 in the world, and has a good chance of winning a medal, but they won’t be the favorites.

That honor falls to Serbia, and as you can see, they have a healthy rivalry with the US. If you don’t care much about national pride and you’re just here for the hoops, Serbia’s Dusan Bulut could quickly become your favorite player.

The women’s national team is loaded with WNBA stars, featuring Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who just was named as a COVID-19 replacement for Katie Lou Samuelson. The US women’s team also has a strong chance of medaling, although they’ll be underdogs as well — they’re currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind Russia and France.