Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Cities all nonetheless have an opportunity to play in subsequent summer time’s Paris Olympics.
However not less than two of these stars received’t get there.
FIBA held the Olympic qualifying match attracts for the ultimate 4 spots left within the Paris Video games subject on Monday — with Slovenia, Greece and the Dominican Republic all getting slotted into the identical occasion. Which means, at most, solely a kind of nations will make it to the Olympics.
Doncic has been Slovenia’s greatest participant for years, Antetokounmpo is the perfect participant for Greece and Cities led the Dominican Republic to a powerful displaying on the World Cup this previous summer time.
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“These tournaments are one thing else,” FIBA secretary normal Andreas Zagklis stated.
“They’re six-team tournaments, each sport counts, you’ve gotten 12 of the highest 20 groups on this planet enjoying there. Every sport may very well be a quarterfinal of the World Cup or a quarterfinal of the Olympics.” There are eight groups already with berths for the 12-team Olympic males’s subject. France certified because the host nation, and 7 different groups — the four-time defending gold medallist US, World Cup champion Germany, Canada, Japan, South Sudan, Serbia and Australia — certified based mostly on their finishes at this previous summer time’s World Cup within the Philippines.
The format for the qualifying occasions is easy: 4 tournaments, to be hosted by Spain, Greece, Latvia and Puerto Rico over July 2-7, 2024. There are six groups in every match, and it’s winner-take-all — every occasion sending one staff to the Paris Video games.
The 4 host websites had been chosen by FIBA earlier Monday, earlier than the draw was held.
Within the qualifying tournaments, every staff performs two video games towards its personal group, and the highest two groups in every group transfer right into a semifinal. First-place groups from Group A would play second-place groups from Group B, and vice-versa, at every web site. These semifinal winners will meet to determine the Olympic spot.