Olympic Games Paris 2024

Paris 2024 Olympics: The eight must-watch men's basketball games in the group stage 

By Gary Washburn
6 min|
Team USA beat South Sudan in a warm-up game 

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

The Olympic men’s basketball tournament starts Friday (26 July) and given what has transpired in the exhibition games, such as South Sudan taking Team USA to the final seconds, there are no pushovers amongst the 12-team field.

Team USA enter as the favourites, having won the past four Gold medals, but there’s heavy competition chasing the Americans, including tournament host France, World Cup champion Germany, the emerging Canadians with a roster filled with NBA players, the Greeks with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the veteran Australian team that won bronze in Tokyo.

The Group Phase games will be a fascinating watch over a nine-day stretch at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, 220 km (136 miles) north of Paris. Then the knockout rounds move to Paris’ Bercy Arena on 6 August.

There are eight games that are a must watch in the Group Phase, such as matchups that include rising South Sudan and Team USA, who are both in Group C along with Puerto Rico and Serbia.

Here are the games that should captivate the international basketball audience because of the wealth of talent, the handful of rising stars and the rivalries that make for an entertaining Olympic tournament.

Men's basketball at Paris 2024: Eight unmissable games

France vs. Brazil (Group B, 27 July)

The host country begins its quest for gold against the upstart Brazilians, which secured their Paris spot by winning the qualifying tournament in Latvia.

It will be the Olympic debut of Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year who is considered the future of French basketball. The 7-foot-4-inch center pairs with 7-foot-1 veteran Rudy Gobert for a mammoth frontline. Veterans such as Nicolas Batum are also back to lead the French.

Brazil is a younger team with just one current NBA player, Gui Santos. But former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo is a force in the paint and the Brazilians are capable of an upset.

Greece vs. Canada (Group A, 27 July)

The Canadians qualified for their first Games since 2000 and are loaded with NBA players as the country’s wealth of talent have collaborated together to transform into a medal contender.

Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was an NBA Most Valuable Player candidate while Jamal Murray led the Denver Nuggets to the NBA title just a year ago. For the Greeks, there is really only one man who stands out above all, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who overcame a late-season injury with the Milwaukee Bucks to carry Greece through the qualifying tournament. Any game with Antetokounmpo is must-see TV.

Victor Wembanyama of France.

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

Serbia vs. United States (Group C, 28 July)

The Americans make their Olympic debut and it’s the return to the Games for all-time great LeBron James and a Games debut for Stephen Curry, at the tender age of 36.

Team USA is the favourites in this tournament with a loaded roster of All-Stars and prolific scorers with former MVP Kevin Durant still working himself into shape and may make his debut in the opener. The Serbians are led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks. It will definitely be a challenge for Team USA in its opener, especially against the skilled Jokic.

Canada vs. Australia (Group A, 30 July)

The Australians remain a mainstay in the Olympic Tournament and this year is no different. The Boomers knocked off favoured France in an exhibition game, led by the ageless Patty Mills, who continues to pester opponents with his uncanny shooting ability.

Josh Giddey, the Chicago Bulls guard, Josh Green and Dyson Daniels add youth to an always respectable roster. The Canadians are favourites to medal and this could be a preview of a knockout round game. Canada may have the most physical team in the tournament with tough guys Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort on defense.

Team USA great LeBron James.

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

United States vs. South Sudan (Group C, 31 July)

The rematch of the most interesting exhibition game prior to the tournament. The upstart Sudanese pushed Team USA to the brink on 20 July, behind a triple-double from former NBA player Carlik Jones and six 3-pointers from Marial Shayok. South Sudan proved it is more than just a feel-good story from a country not known for basketball prowess.

Team president Luol Deng has put together a competitive roster filled with players with professional experience and 17-year-old Duke commit Khaman Maluach coming off the bench. Let’s see if Team USA plays with a different strategy this time.

Australia vs. Greece (Group A, 2 August)

This game begins an intriguing trio of games that could determine berths in the knockout round. The Boomers have the experience and the talent but the Greeks have Antetokounmpo. With Canada and Spain also in Group A, this is the most difficult group of the trio. The key for Greece may be whether Antetokounmpo can get the necessary help to compete with the deeper Australians.

Canada vs. Spain (Group A, 2 August)

The Spanish team was a power in the 2010s but age set in with the retirement of the Gasol brothers.

A new generation has taken over and players such as Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama and former NBA player Lorenzo Brown have emerged. A victory of the Bahamas earned them a spot in its seventh consecutive Olympic Games. The Canadians, who have 10 NBA players on their roster, could be in line for a top seed in the knockout round or perhaps will be fighting to advance. This is likely a critical game for both teams.

France vs. Germany (Group B, 2 August)

The Germans won the World Cup by beating the United States in the semi-finals and they pushed Team USA in the final exhibition game. A roster filled with NBA veterans such as Mo and Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis. Germany has the size and physicality to compete with anyone in the tournament but this matchup with mammoth France, featuring Wembanyama and Gobert, poses a completely different challenge. This may be the most competitive game of the entire Group Stage.

Gary Washburn is an Olympics.com correspondent and National NBA Writer for the Boston Globe.

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