The Finalized Field for Men's Olympic Basketball Includes Giannis Antetokounmpo's First Qualification

After a busy day of Olympic qualifying basketball, the 12-team field for Paris this summer has been determined.

Following the FIBA World Cup in 2023, 24 teams were left to compete for the final four slots — with the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, Canada and Australia all having qualified already.

The remaining spots were determined in winner-take-all qualifiers that started last week. Brazil, Greece, Spain and Puerto Rico came out victorious in their respective tournaments and will now round out the three groups.

Here are the full Olympic men’s basketball groups for this summer.

Group A
Canada
Australia
Greece (winner of Greece OQT)
Spain (winner of Spain OQT)

Group B
France
Germany
Japan
Brazil (winner of Latvia OQT)

Group C
Serbia
South Sudan
Puerto Rico (winner of Puerto Rico OQT)
United States

Here is a roundup of the winner-take-all finals from each Olympic qualifying tournament.

Greece 80, Crotia 69

Giannis Antetokounmpo is now an Olympian.

Antetokounmpo is heading to the Olympics for the first time, after he scored 23 points and Greece held off Croatia 80-69 on Sunday in one of the four men’s basketball qualifying tournament finals being held to determine the final spots in the 12-team field for the Paris Games.

“The best athletes in the world compete in the Olympic Games,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have nothing to lose. … I really believe we have an incredible team and we can accomplish something special.”

Georgios Papagiannis scored 19 points for Greece, which got 14 from Nick Calathes and earned an Olympic berth for the first time since 2008.

“It’s very nice to qualify because that’s the first step,” Papagiannis said. “At the Olympics, we’re looking to do something really good there.”

Ivica Zubac had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Croatia, which got 15 points apiece from Mateo Dreznjak and Mario Hezonja and 14 from Dario Saric.

Greece will be placed in Group A for the Paris Games, with its opening-stage games against Australia, Canada and Spain — which also qualified on Sunday by beating the Bahamas.

Spain 86, Bahamas 78

Rudy Fernandez is going to the Olympics for the sixth time, a first for any men’s basketball player. And Spain had to dig deep to get him there.

Spain earned its seventh consecutive Olympic berth after holding off the Bahamas 86-78 at Valencia, Spain.

Lorenzo Brown had 18 points for Spain, which got 14 from Willy Hernangomez, 12 from Santiago Aldama and 10 from Usman Garuba.

Buddy Hield led the Bahamas with 19 points. Deandre Ayton scored 17, Eric Gordon had 15 and Valdez Edgecombe Jr. finished with 12.

Like Greece, Spain is in Group A for the opening stage of games in Paris alongside Australia and Canada.

Brazil 94, Latvia 69

At Riga, Latvia, Brazil used a 19-0 run over the final 3:21 of the first quarter to set the tone in what became a surprisingly easy 94-69 victory over Latvia.

Bruno Caboclo led Brazil with 21 points and Leo Meindl added 20. Caboclo made a 65-foot 3-pointer to end the first quarter — one in which Brazil was 8 for 8 from beyond the arc to take a 34-11 lead and stun the home crowd.

“My dad was a basketball player and his dream was to play in the Olympic Games,” Meindl said. “I’m making this for me, for him and for my family. I’m feeling on the clouds.”

Rihards Lomazs scored 15 for Latvia, which got 14 points apiece from Rolands Smits and Arturs Zagars.

“It just seemed like it was going their way from the first quarter,” Zagars said.

Brazil will be placed in Group B for the Olympics, with games against France (July 27), Germany (July 30) and Japan (Aug. 2) in the opening stage.

Puerto Rico 79, Lithuania 68

For the first time since 2004, Puerto Rico is headed to the Olympics.

At San Juan, the hosts got 23 points from Jose Alvarado, 18 points from Tremont Waters and topped Lithuania 79-68 to claim the 12th and final spot in the field for the Paris Games.

Puerto Rico will be slotted into group play in France with Serbia, South Sudan and the U.S.

Rokas Jokubaitis scored 16 points and Domantas Sabonis scored 10 for Lithuania.

— with files from Sportsnet Staff

The field for the men’s Olympic basketball tournament has been finalized, and one of the most exciting developments is the inclusion of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Greek national team. This will mark the first time that the reigning NBA MVP will be competing in the Olympics, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already star-studded event.

Antetokounmpo, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, has quickly established himself as one of the top players in the world. His combination of size, athleticism, and skill has made him a dominant force on both ends of the court, and he will undoubtedly be a key player for Greece as they look to make a deep run in the tournament.

The addition of Antetokounmpo adds even more star power to an already stacked field for the men’s Olympic basketball tournament. Teams like the United States, Spain, Australia, and France will all be strong contenders for the gold medal, making for what promises to be an incredibly competitive and entertaining competition.

In addition to Antetokounmpo, there are several other notable players who will be making their Olympic debuts in Tokyo. Players like Luka Doncic of Slovenia, Jayson Tatum of the United States, and Rudy Gobert of France will all be looking to make their mark on the international stage and help lead their teams to success.

Overall, the finalized field for the men’s Olympic basketball tournament is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. With a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talent, fans can expect to see some high-level basketball being played as teams compete for the ultimate prize of an Olympic gold medal. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo set to make his Olympic debut, there will be even more reason to tune in and watch as some of the best players in the world go head-to-head on the biggest stage in sports.