According to the Associated Press, 3-on-3 basketball is expected to be added to the Olympic program. The sport is one of 60 proposals for additions to the Olympic schedule, and it is a favorite to be selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next Friday at an executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. The AP concluded that 3-on-3 was a selection favorite “after all [sports] were analyzed by an International Olympic Committee advisory panel.”
Decisions on which (if any) sports to add to the Olympic program are due at the meeting on Friday, which was called initally to discuss potentially awarding both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic bids to Paris and Los Angeles, respectively, at the same time later this year.
The 3-on-3 basketball games would be played half-court, just like most pickup games are played. According to the AP, the sport looked ready to be added to the 2016 Rio Games, until organizers were too busy preparing for the already-set sports to plan out space and scheduling for 3-on-3.
“Now there is an urban cluster that has been created,” FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann told The Associated Press. “The best urban team sport is 3-on-3 street basketball. It would certainly be a perfect fit.”
The AP says that adding 3-on-3 to the Summer Games would bring in 96 more athletes to the Olympics, which is important in the IOC’s decision, as they need to have enough space for housing and training/competition spaces for the athletes.
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