LAS VEGAS — Whether it's weathering Olympic-strength sailing winds or taking aim during a Malaysian monsoon, 3x3 basketball players are used to challenging conditions to say the least.
The Olympics first sanctioned 3x3 play for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, though Team USA didn't qualify for the men's tournament as Latvia — the West Virginia-sized Baltic nation of 1.8 million — took gold.
So when the U.S. men open this Olympic tournament on July 30 in Paris against Germany, it could be the first time many Americans see this fast-paced, half-court version of James Naismith's game.
The most jarring scene will be that games are played outdoors where weather, like wind and rain, can alter long-range shots.
Team USA's Canyon Barry said conditions can be "definitely challenging" and offered up the most understated analysis of the sport.
"Obviously, we’re a team that shoots the ball pretty well," said Barry, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry and a former standout himself at Florida and College of Charleston. "So when we’re playing in 30 or 40 mph winds, it’s not always the best for us."
And that's not hyperbole.
Welcome to the world of 3x3 basketball
- The game is played outdoors on a half-court with teams attacking and defending the same hoop depending on who has possession. The ball is a tad smaller, leading to a faster style of play.
- There’s a 12-second shot clock, as opposed to the NBA’s 24 seconds.
- Baskets inside the 3-point line are worth 1 point, while shots outside the 22-foot stripe are worth 2.
- The first team to 21 points wins or whichever team is leading after 10 minutes. If the score is tied, the first team to score 2 points in overtime wins.
Longtime USA 3x3 coach Joe Lewandowski recalled having his team play in Marseille, France, the scene of the Olympic sailing competition, where they had no choice but to “figure it out.”
“It was insane,” Lewandowski, who played at Division II Slippery Rock in the 1990s, said of the FIBA 3x3 Men’s World Tour in May. “It was one of those ones where you shoot it and you’re like, ‘OK maybe I have to shoot it 5 feet right for it to maybe go left.’ My guess is FIBA will begin to say, ‘We have to legislate that out. We have to either delay the game or change it because it affects how the game is played.’ But right now, you got to figure (the surroundings) out.”
Veteran 3x3 player and former Princeton star Kareem Maddox not-so-fondly recalled the 2018 Penang World Tour event that presented challenges he never faced inside storied Jadwin Gym.
"There was a literal typhoon in Malaysia and rain was blowing in sideways," he said. "They tried to get us to finish the game, and then at some point guys were just sliding all over the floor. "
In a key scene from the 1992 basketball classic "White Men Can't Jump," the wind plays a key role as Woody Harrelson's hoopster hustler Billy Hoyle gets into the head of street baller Sidney Deane, played by Wesley Snipes.
"Sidney, I noticed that that wind was kicking up a bit on my last shot," Harrelson slyly tells Snipes before a big shot. "You might want to adjust about 6 to 8 inches to the left."
Fans of the film will remember that the mind games continued.
“Don’t worry, Sidney, I’ve hustled a hell of a lot better players than you before,” Harrelson’s Hoyle then whispered. “Don’t put up no brick.”
With the wind and doubt rattling Snipes' character, he clanked it.
Mother Nature should be a good sport for the 3x3 basketball players in Paris. August is the calmestmonth of the year in the city, with average hourly wind speed of8.1 mph. Temperatures usually top out in the high 70s with little rain.
And with this being the Olympics, large stands for spectators should help. A FIBA-standard, tent-like covering is expected to block the non-sideways wind. The official 3x3 ball is also a tad smaller with ridges, designed to withstand some of the wind's force, players and coaches said.
Of course, just being able to see the basket they're shooting at isn't always a given.
"You might get a day where it’s super sunny and you can’t see the rim," Lewandowski said. "So you have to find ways of winning. Guys have to diversify themselves. But that’s where that IQ comes into play."
No matter the wind or rain, Barry said those conditions really shouldn't be a concern because both sides face the same challenge.
"We played in Marseille and the Olympic sailing team was there because it was great windy weather for sailing. We’re like, ‘Why the heck are we playing an outdoor basketball event here when it’s gusting 40 mph?'" Barry said. "It’s tough, but both teams have to deal with it when it’s windy, and we got to be able to find a way to win whatever the circ*mstances."
Greg Rosenstein reported from Las Vegas and David K. Li from New York City.
