The sport's popularity in France continues to rise, so we're expecting the stands for the basketball events during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games to be on fire! Basketball fans will be at theAccor Arena in Bercy from July 27 to August 10 for the basketball tournaments, from July 30 to August 5 at the Concorde for the 3x3 basketball events, and from August 29 to September 8 at theArena Bercy for wheelchair basketball.
Basketball was invented in 1891 by an American school sports teacher who wanted to find an indoor sport to keep his students active during the winter. The sport soon became popular. Basketball arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century: American military troops helped introduce the new sport to the old continent during the First World War.
The first international competitions were organized in the 1920s, and basketball was introduced at the 1904 Olympic Games. However, this ball sport was not included in the Olympic Games until 1936. Women's tournaments were not included in the Olympic Games until 1976.
Wheelchair basketball emerged after the Second World War as a rehabilitation activity for wounded soldiers. It quickly evolved into a competitive sport with rules similar to those of traditional basketball, but adapted to the specific needs of wheelchair players. This dynamic and inclusive sport is played in teams of five, where players must dribble, pass and shoot while maneuvering their wheelchairs, requiring coordination and strength.
Wheelchair basketball made its official debut at the Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. Since then, it has become one of the Games' flagship sports, attracting thousands of spectators and significant media coverage. Each edition of the Games sees athletes pushing back the limits of the sport, delivering increasingly impressive performances.
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Basketball is played on a rectangular court, with two baskets at each end, located 3.05 metres above the ground. Two teams of five players compete in four ten-minute quarters: the aim is to score as many baskets as possible.
3x3 basketball is a more urban variant of the game, which has made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, following its success at the Youth Games. In this discipline, there is onlyone basket: teams take it in turns to defend the basket according to who has the ball. The match lasts 10 minutes: the team that has scored 21 points, or is in the lead at the end of the ten minutes, wins.
Wheelchair basketball is played using the same rules as 5x5 basketball. Athletes have a motor disability (paraplegia, tetraplegia, amputation, etc.). Wheelchair basketball originated in the aftermath of the Second World War, as a rehabilitation activity for soldiers wounded during the war.
Historically, the USA have dominated the competition by far: the men's teams have won gold in every edition except 1972, 1980, 1988 and 2004, and the women have only missed out on gold once since 1984. Even so, France has put up a valiant fight against the American colossus, reaching the second step of the podium three times since 1936. In the overall ranking, however, the Russian and Serbian teams remain the strongest.
The medal records are also mostly held by Americans: two women, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, each hold five gold medals. They are followed by Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie and Sylvia Fowles with four gold medals, and Carmelo Anthony with three.
And what about the French? Les Bleus are automatically qualified for the tournament, which is the privilege of the host country. Now they have to prove that they deserve this chance. The French women's team has already demonstrated its strength at the 2023 international competitions. The men, on the other hand, still have some work to do: their journey to the World Cup in August 2023 was brought to a swift halt by Latvia.
For the Paralympics, we'll of course be following themen's wheelchair basketball team, which has qualified for these Games... And this had not happened for 20 years, at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. On the other hand, thewomen's team failed to qualify for these Games.
Basketball at Arena Bercy
3x3 basketball at Concorde
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men or Women, preliminary round
Men, quarter-finals (2 matches)
Men, quarter-finals (2 matches)
Men's or Women's Playoff 5-8
Women, quarter-finals
Women, quarter-finals (2 matches)
Women, quarter-finals
Men or Women, Playoff 5-8
Men or Women, Playoff 5-8
Men, Semi-final
Men or Women, Playoff 5-8
Men, Semi-final
Men or Women, Playoff 7-8
Women, Semi-final
Men or Women, Playoff 5-6
Women, Semi-final
Men or Women, Playoff 7-8
Men's bronze medal match
Men or Women, Playoff 5-6
Men's gold medal match
Women's bronze medal match
Women, gold medal match
Dates and Opening Time
From July 27, 2024 to September 8, 2024
Location
Accor Arena
8 Boulevard de Bercy
75012 Paris 12
Access
Metro line 6 or 14 "Bercy" station
Official website
www.paris2024.org
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Where to play basketball in Paris: indoor and outdoor courts to have fun and let off steam
