(Bloomberg) -- When 3-on-3 basketball makes its Olympic debut in 2020, spectators will get a brisk 10-minute game with a hands-off approach to fouls. What they won't see are actual basketball stars.
Despite the newfound promise of Olympic glory, 3-on-3 basketball remains a scrappy sport that's largely played by part-timers. The U.S. men's team, coming off a gold medal win in this year's 3-on-3 World Cup, includes people like Kareem Maddox, who has a day job as a podcast producer at Spotify. One player shoots free throws underhanded.
That ragtag quality is unlikely to change as Team USA aims to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The sport's professional circuit just doesn't pay well enough to attract big names. It also has to compete with the 5-on-5 version of the game, aka regular basketball.
But the sport's advocates hope the Olympic spotlight will help nudge 3-on-3 basketball further into the mainstream and introduce it to a new generation of fans and athletes. The hope is to mimic the success of beach volleyball, which became an Olympic sport in 1996.
“We want to continue the sport's growth and see where it takes us — maybe even high school or college,” USA Basketball President Jim Tooley said in an interview.
The idea of high school teams competing in 3-on-3 basketball still seems unlikely, but the sport has come a long way since its origins on blacktop courts in the '80s. Ice Cube, the rapper and actor turned businessman, co-founded a 3-on-3 league in 2017 that now has its games broadcast on CBS networks. And it does feature some former NBA stars, such as one-time Rookie of the Year Amar'e Stoudemire and three-time All Star Gilbert Arenas.
But for athletes looking to qualify for the 3-on-3 national squad, life is less glamorous. In order to make the team, players must hop on the professional circuit of the International Basketball Federation, known as FIBA, and compete in a series of tournaments.
And for many of the athletes, it's just a side gig.
“A lot of the players have other jobs,” Tooley said.
“For NBA guys, they probably have to think like, ‘Is it worth it?'”
Most of these tournaments take place in the summer, during the NBA offseason. But it might be hard for NBA veterans to get the hang of it, said Maddox, the Spotify producer who plays on Team USA.
“The game is different,” he said. “It's unpredictable and a lot more physical.”
And the financial reward isn't big enough to entice star athletes. In 2019, FIBA scheduled 11 tournaments, with teams ranking first through fourth earning $88,000 to $330,000 in total.
“For NBA guys, they probably have to think like, ‘Is it worth it?'” said Maddox, who played on Princeton's basketball team in college. “Probably not.”
Only eight teams will qualify for the 3-on-3 Olympic debut next year, one of which will be the home country of Japan. Tooley says that between the men's and women's squads, USA basketball will spend well over seven figures trying to get teams qualified for the Olympics. Funding will also come from sponsors like Red Bull.
The smaller squad in 3-on-3 basketball may give some countries an opportunity. They might have trouble putting together a 12-person roster for traditional basketball, but now they only need four players (three are on the court at any given time, while the fourth serves as a sub).
And with NBA players not participating, the game has parity.
“Anybody can beat anybody on any given night,” Tooley said. “It's exciting.”
In regular basketball, U.S. squads have been dominant for decades. The American men's team captured 15 of the 19 gold medals, while the women won eight of 11.
With 3-on-3, the country has far less of an edge. The U.S. women haven't won a World Cup since 2014, and on the men's side, Serbia has won four of the past six.
The rules of 3-on-3 are simple and designed to make the game as thrilling as possible. Baskets scored inside the court's arc get one point, while those outside get two. Games, played on a half-court, end when a team reaches 21 or when the 10-minute clock expires.
The shot clock contributes to the swift pace. It's set at 12 seconds, rather than 24, and there are no breaks. Coaches also are prohibited from intervening during games. Play only stops for the most egregious fouls.
It's just a mad dash of basketball.
“It's very instinctive, but also super exhausting,” Maddox said. “With a 10 minute game, it's an adjustment because every possession matters, and there's quite literally no time to rest.”
FIBA has been trying to get more fans to check out the sport. It signed a multiyear deal this year with streaming service FloSports that lets subscribers see games. Some events also are available on YouTube.
But with the 2020 Olympics airing on NBC — and other networks around the world — there's a chance for a truly global audience.
“We want this to create a whole new generation of players who're focused on 3-on-3,” Tooley said.
--With assistance from Eben Novy-Williams.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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