Men's 3x3 basketball at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, Team USA stars, what to know

As good as Americans are in basketball, the 3x3 game is a different dynamic. The style, pace, skill set and rules make it uniquely different than the game most people are used to watching.

That’s why the U.S. men's 3x3 isn’t a guaranteed favorite to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it's why countries such as China, Netherlands, Mongolia, Belgium and Switzerland – not your traditional basketball powers – are ranked in the top 10 in men's 3x3.

The U.S. team, which did not qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will try to win its first 3x3 medal in Paris. Pool play begins July 30, the semifinals and finals are Aug. 5, and games will be played outdoors at the Place de la Concorde, a major public square in the Paris on the Seine River near the Musee d’Orsay and Louvre.

When did 3x3 men's basketball become an Olympic sport?

Men's 3x3 basketball debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for men and women. FIBA made a push to get the sport into the 2016 Rio Olympics but was denied in 2013. Four years later, it was approved.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Latvia won gold, a Russian team took silver and Serbia earned bronze on the men’s side.

How does Olympic men's 3x3 basketball work?

The game is played on a half court with one basket. It's a 10-minute game or first to 21 points with no halftime and no quarters, and there is a 12-second shot clock. A made shot inside the 3-point arc counts as one point and a made shot outside the 3-point line counts as two points. A made free throw is worth one point, and fouls are called by a referee.

Team fouls Nos. 7-10 are penalized with two free throws, and team foul No. 10 and beyond are penalized with two free throws and possession.

If tied after 10 minutes, there is overtime, and the first team to score two points in overtime wins.

Following a made shot, possession changes from the scoring team to the non-scoring team. Following a missed shot, if an offensive player rebounds the ball, they may continue to attempt to score without returning the ball behind the 3-point, according to FIBA rules. If a defensive player rebounds the ball, they must return the ball behind the arc by passing or dribbling.

Each team has four players – three on the court plus a reserve.

In the Olympics, eight teams qualify and play each other in a round-robin format. The top two teams advance to the semifinals and the next four teams play for a spot in the semifinals – third place vs. sixth place and fourth place vs. fifth place. Classification is determined by total wins followed by head-to-head record and points scored.

Who are the top Team USA athletes in men's 3x3 basketball?

The U.S. roster is set, and it features familiar names: Jimmer Fredette, the former college star for Brigham Young; Canyon Barry, the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry; Kareem Maddox, who played for Princeton; and Dylan Travis, who played for Southern Florida College.

That team captured silver at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, losing to Serbia 21-19 in the gold-medal game. Fredette led the U.S. in scoring with 8.4 points per game.

What's the international landscape in Olympic men's 3x3 basketball?

Serbia is ranked No. 1 in the world, per FIBA rankings, followed by the U.S., Lithuania, China, Netherlands, France, Mongolia, Belgium and Latvia.

Team USA, Serbia, China, Netherlands, Latvia, France, Poland and Lithuania qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Men's 3x3 basketball at Paris Olympics: How it works, what to know