Eighty-five years after basketball’s debut in the Olympics, at the 1936 Berlin Games, a twist on the sport makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo. Three-on-three basketball, or 3x3 as the sport’s world governing body refers to it, promises a faster version than the traditional form.
Three on three is basketball reimagined for the TikTok generation, with fast-paced choreography and a hip-hop soundtrack. “If you have a short attention span, this is your sport,” said Kara Lawson, the coach of the U.S. women’s team.
The half-court game is played outdoors with a 12-second shot clock, no breaks and four-player rosters.