The primary Olympic 3x3 basketball qualifying tournament, originally set to take place in Bengaluru, India, in two weeks, has been postponed due to coronavirus developments.
The tournament must be rescheduled to dates before the April 24-26 universality Olympic 3x3 qualifier. The universality qualifier is for nations without recent Olympic five-on-five history, according to FIBA.
“FIBA is now working in close collaboration with the International Olympic Committee, on the best solution possible in the circumstances,” according to a FIBA press release.
The U.S. previously named its men’s and women’s rosters for the primary qualifier, the nation’s final chance to qualify for the new Olympic event for either gender. The top three men’s and women’s teams qualify for Tokyo.
If the U.S. qualifies for Tokyo, it will then choose its roster(s) in a similar fashion to its traditional basketball teams — via selection committee. It’s unlikely active NBA players will be eligible.
In 3x3, games last 10 minutes, or until one team reaches 21 points. Games are played on a half-court with a 12-second shot clock, and offense immediately turns to defense after a team scores.
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