3x3 Becomes an Olympic Sport
July 2021. Tokyo 2020, played in 2021
Three-on-three basketball has been played on outdoor courts around the world for decades. FIBA turned it into an official format with its own rules: a half court, a 12-second shot clock and games to 21 points or 10 minutes.
At the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021 after a one-year delay, 3x3 made its Olympic debut for both men and women. Latvia, a country of under two million people, won the men's gold, beating the Russian team 21 to 18. Kārlis Lasmanis hit a two-pointer, the 3x3 version of a three, to help seal it.
In the women's event, the United States beat the Russian team 18 to 15 in the final, and China took bronze.
What changed
With only three players and a 12-second clock, 3x3 rewards quick decisions, one-on-one skill and nonstop conditioning. It also gave smaller basketball nations a real path to Olympic medals.