Why US 3×3 Basketball Lacks Star Power

The USA men’s and women’s 3×3 Olympic basketball teams are both struggling with 0-2 records after losses to Serbia and Germany.

Their rosters lack star power, raising questions about how they got here.

Michael David Smith tweeted, “Couldn’t USA have found better players for our 3×3 teams? Our men and women are both 0-2. Why aren’t NBA players on the men’s team? Why isn’t Caitlin Clark on the women’s?”

Eligibility Rules:

Active NBA players couldn’t join the men’s team due to FIBA rules. Each squad needs two players ranked in their country’s top 10 and two in the top 50 or with enough ranking points. Team USA automatically qualified for the games, but ranking points can only be earned by playing in FIBA-sanctioned events, which started during the NBA season.

This made it impossible for NBA stars to participate. As a result, the roster includes Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox, Dylan Travis (none of whom have played an NBA game), and Jimmer Fredette, who last played in the league in 2019.

The women’s team faced fewer challenges assembling their squad. They included WNBA All-Stars Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard but missed out on young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese due to similar eligibility issues .

Fans might think it’s unfair that these rules keep top players out of such important games.

Game Differences:

The shift from traditional 5×5 basketball to 3×3 changes everything. The game is played on half a court with different strategies required. The ball used is unique too; it’s WNBA-sized but weighs like an NBA ball and has weather-proof grips often seen on outdoor balls.

Points are scored differently: shots inside the arc count as one point while those beyond it count as two. There’s also a shorter shot clock at just 12 seconds instead of the usual 24 seconds. A team wins by either reaching 21 points first or leading after ten minutes of play.

This style appeals to specific types of players, but if it becomes more popular, we might see changes in eligibility rules or player interest levels.

For now though, this is likely as good as it gets for Team USA’s performance in international 3×3 basketball competitions.

What do you think about these challenges? Should there be changes to make it easier for top players to join?