* Long a backyard sport, 3x3 b-ball celebrated in Baku
* Fast, furious game showcases merits for future Olympics
BAKU, June 23 (Reuters) - With thumping music, ferocious slamdunks and sublime skill, 3x3 basketball came out with a bang on Tuesday at the inaugural European Games, but the sport with inner-city backyard origins has far bigger ambitions -- a place at the Olympics.
It has been played as "streetball" and other guises for years but in 2007 the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) identified it as a "sport with a young, urban and positive image" and began to focus on heightening its profile.