When Did 3x3 Basketball Become an Olympic Sport?

By Jayson Panganiban July 07, 2024 02:32

Photo by Eugene Hoshiko/AP

Some early roots of 3x3 basketball can be traced back to the informal "streetball" tradition in urban and semi-urban America, where half-court competition had been played among athletes who did not have sufficient numbers or full facilities. At the same time, during the late 2000s, American city-based tournaments operated by organizations such as Gus Macker created standardized sets of game rules for players who participated in their events. Such a style of basketball has been played in streets and gyms worldwide for decades. Still, without FIBA's proposal to be recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a discipline, it never earned any serious regard.

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Olympic Programme Inclusion Timeline

The road to 3x3 basketball becoming an Olympic sport started in 2007, with FIBA proposing its addition to the Youth Olympic Games for a future event in Singapore in 2010. The proposal for this event embodies the first to give an official 3x3 pro-professional league in response to a firmly held success. This also helped 3x3's cause with the success of the sport at YOG, which is one reason there was a decision by the International Olympic Committee executive board to include 3x3 basketball in its program for next year's Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games took place in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, that event was where the historic introductory competition officially plays, with the ultimate goal of becoming a mainstay during future versions.

Olympic Recognition

The International Olympic Committee initiative was designed to place new events on the program to test them out, see if they attracted a younger demographic, and bring some into future editions of the Olympics. FIBA immediately saw the opportunity and responded with 3x3 basketball, which they realized was a new product for this generation. The heavy focus by FIBA on the entertainment-centric, social media-friendly approach of 3x3 basketball and its subsequent global rise in engagement from a mere one million to over half a billion people engaging with it worldwide between 2012 -2022 helped sway the IOC into believing that this high octane brand of hoops could stand alone as an Olympic aspirant.

Olympic 3x3 Basketball Rules and Format

3x3 is a game version with just one half-court, three players per team, and a faster-paced playing style. The game is built on speed, versatility, and agility rather than the endurance of traditional tactics of 5x5 basketball. The rules of the discipline are meant to keep it fun and engaging, with constant music playing during games and beep-beep-bopping on a half-court layout at an over-the-top main camera angle that is extremely easy for social media. With 3x3 basketball viewed as a fun and fast game, the doorstep for involvement has contributed heavily towards its Olympic status.

Results on Olympic Growth and Popularity

Though 3x3 basketball made its Olympic debut in competition only at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021, it instantly emerged as the number one urban team sport globally. The advent of 3x3 success at two editions of the Youth Olympic Games and its subsequent formalization into an official Olympic discipline has lit a fire under it. The physicality, ease of play, and non-stop nature of 3x3 basketball have made it a hit with the younger generation, leading to a soaring social engagement for the sport, which is fast becoming an Olympic discipline favorite.