# Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
The men's basketball tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics was a 12-team competition organized by FIBA at the [Saitama Super Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/saitama-super-arena) in Saitama, Japan, played from 25 July to 7 August 2021 as part of the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 after a one-year pandemic delay.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB) • [2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set) The United States won its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal and its 16th title in 20 Olympic men's tournaments, beating France 87-82 in the final, with Australia taking bronze.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB) • [3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-team-usa-win-fourth-straight-gold-as-france-take-silver-and-australia-bronze-at-the-tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates and venue | 25 July – 7 August 2021, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan[1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB) |
| Field | 12 teams, 144 men's players across the 5-on-5 tournaments[4](https://www.olympic.sk/sites/default/files/field_media_file/2019-09/Tokio_2020_-_Official_Programme.pdf) |
| New format | Three groups of 4 instead of the previous two groups of 6; eight teams still advanced to a single-elimination phase, so a finalist played 6 games instead of 8[5](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/competition-formats-confirmed-for-tokyo-2020-olympic-basketball-and-3x3-basketball-tournaments) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB) |
| Medal podium | Gold: United States; Silver: France; Bronze: Australia, Australia's first men's Olympic basketball medal[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-team-usa-win-fourth-straight-gold-as-france-take-silver-and-australia-bronze-at-the-tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) |
| Final | United States 87-82 France, 7 August 2021; Kevin Durant top scored for Team USA[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKELX_xqgZY) |
| Qualification | 7 teams via the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, Japan as host, and 4 winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set) |
| Notable performances | Luka Doncic's 48 points, tied for the second-best single-game mark in Olympic history; Patty Mills' 42 points in the bronze game[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) |
## Format
The tournament kept the Olympic structure of a group phase followed by a knockout bracket but changed the group shape. Previous Olympics had used two groups of 6 teams with eight advancing; Tokyo 2020 divided the 12 teams into three groups of 4, again with eight teams entering the single-elimination phase.[5](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/competition-formats-confirmed-for-tokyo-2020-olympic-basketball-and-3x3-basketball-tournaments) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB) The two highest-placed teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams went to the quarter-finals, after which the competition was direct elimination through the semi-finals and final; a gold medalist played six games rather than the eight required under the old format.[8](https://as.com/juegos_olimpicos/2021/07/15/reportajes/1626309271_942130.html) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB)
In the knockout draw, the three group winners and the best second-placed team formed one seeding pot, and the two remaining second-placed teams and the two best third-placed teams formed another, so group winners could not be drawn against each other in the quarter-finals.[9](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/v1736690568/tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament-9562-media-guide.pdf)
## Qualification
Seven directly qualified teams came from the [FIBA Basketball World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiba-basketball-world-cup) 2019, and Japan received automatic qualification as host, a host-country place FIBA awarded to Japan for both the men's and women's tournaments.[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set) • [10](https://www.joc.or.jp/news/011350.html) The field was completed by four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments held in Belgrade, Kaunas, Split, and Victoria, which began on 29 June 2021 and ended with finals on 4 July; the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia won their respective six-team tournaments to take the last four places.[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set)
The official draw at FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland placed the teams as follows: [Group A](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-a), Iran, France, the United States, and the Czech Republic; [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b), Australia, Nigeria, Germany, and Italy; Group C, Argentina, Japan, Spain, and Slovenia.[8](https://as.com/juegos_olimpicos/2021/07/15/reportajes/1626309271_942130.html) • [11](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/news-groups-confirmed-for-tokyo-2020-olympic-basketball-tournaments)
## Group phase
**France struck first.** In the opening day of the tournament, France beat the United States 83-76, ending an American Olympic winning streak that had stood at 25 games since the last defeat in 2004; it was the second straight France win over the USA at global level, after the 2019 World Cup quarter-final.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) • [3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-team-usa-win-fourth-straight-gold-as-france-take-silver-and-australia-bronze-at-the-tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) [Evan Fournier](https://www.edgepedia.org/evan-fournier) scored 28 points in that game.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
The group phase produced several record performances. On 26 July, Luka Doncic scored 48 points for Slovenia, tied for the second-best single-game total in Olympic history and the highest in 33 years, seven short of [Oscar Schmidt](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-schmidt)'s record of 55 for Brazil against Spain at Seoul 1988.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) Slovenia, a first-time Olympic entrant that had come through the Kaunas qualifying tournament, reached the quarter-finals with a 116-81 win over Japan and entered the knockout rounds undefeated in official games with Doncic in the lineup.[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set) • [7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
The United States recovered after the opening loss. [Damian Lillard](https://www.edgepedia.org/damian-lillard) made seven three-pointers in a 120-66 win over Iran, and the Americans beat the Czech Republic to advance as a seeded team, meaning they could not be drawn against a group winner in the quarter-finals.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) France finished 3-0 by beating Iran, and Germany advanced as one of the two best third-placed teams despite losing to Australia.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
## Knockout rounds
The quarter-final draw paired France with Italy, Slovenia with Germany, the United States with Spain, and Australia with Argentina.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) In the quarter-finals, the United States outlasted Spain, a result that kept alive the American record of reaching the semi-finals in every Olympic appearance; Australia used a 37-11 final quarter to eliminate Argentina; Slovenia blew out Germany by 24 points; and France, led by [Rudy Gobert](https://www.edgepedia.org/rudy-gobert) in the closing minutes, returned to the semi-finals for the first time in 21 years.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
In the semi-finals, the United States erased a 15-point deficit to beat Australia 97-78, and [Nicolas Batum](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-batum)'s block in the closing seconds sent France past Slovenia to the final.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKELX_xqgZY) • [7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) Doncic recorded 16 points, 18 assists, and 10 rebounds in the semi-final, the third triple-double in the history of Olympic basketball, after Alexander Belov in 1976 and [LeBron James](https://www.edgepedia.org/lebron-james) in 2012.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
**The bronze game** gave Australia its first men's Olympic basketball medal after four previous fourth-place finishes. [Patty Mills](https://www.edgepedia.org/patty-mills) scored 42 points with 9 assists in the win.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
## Final
The gold medal game on 7 August 2021 was a rematch of the group opener. The United States held off France 87-82 at Saitama Super Arena, winning a fourth straight Olympic title, a streak unmatched since the American run of seven consecutive golds in the 1960s.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKELX_xqgZY) • [7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) [Kevin Durant](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-durant) top scored for Team USA, and [Jayson Tatum](https://www.edgepedia.org/jayson-tatum) added 19 points as the team's second-leading scorer in the game.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKELX_xqgZY) • [12](https://time.com/6088368/usa-basketball-olympics-mens-gold/)
France's plan centered on feeding Rudy Gobert inside, and he finished with 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting, but he missed 7 of 13 free throws, and [Jrue Holiday](https://www.edgepedia.org/jrue-holiday), ten inches shorter than the 7'1" Gobert, bothered him in the post at key moments. France shot 10-of-31 from three-point range and missed three late attempts that could have cut further into the lead.[12](https://time.com/6088368/usa-basketball-olympics-mens-gold/) It was France's third Olympic final, all against the United States and all ending in silver, after 1948 and 2000.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament) • [13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YSrNfcKvA0)
## Records and individual marks
- Kevin Durant became the all-time leading scorer in the history of USA Basketball at the Olympics during the tournament.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
- The United States made 20 three-pointers against the Czech Republic, giving the program three Olympic games with 20 or more made threes; all other teams combined had one such game.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
- [Rui Hachimura](https://www.edgepedia.org/rui-hachimura) scored 34 points for host Japan against Slovenia, and Luis Scola played in his fifth Olympics for Argentina, retiring from basketball after the tournament.[7](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
## References
1. [Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/BKB)
2. [Following FIBA OQTs, Tokyo 2020 Men's Olympics Basketball Tournament field set, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-following-fiba-oqts-tokyo-2020-men-s-olympics-basketball-tournament-field-set)
3. [Team USA win fourth straight gold as France take silver and Australia bronze, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-team-usa-win-fourth-straight-gold-as-france-take-silver-and-australia-bronze-at-the-tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
4. [Official Programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020](https://www.olympic.sk/sites/default/files/field_media_file/2019-09/Tokio_2020_-_Official_Programme.pdf)
5. [Competition formats confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Basketball and 3x3 Basketball Tournaments, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/competition-formats-confirmed-for-tokyo-2020-olympic-basketball-and-3x3-basketball-tournaments)
6. [Men's basketball, Semi-final & final highlights, Tokyo Replays, Olympic Games](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKELX_xqgZY)
7. [Tournament tracker: Memorable tournament finished in Tokyo, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/olympics-men-2020-news-tournament-tracker-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament)
8. [El baloncesto en los Juegos de Tokio 2020, AS](https://as.com/juegos_olimpicos/2021/07/15/reportajes/1626309271_942130.html)
9. [Tokyo 2020 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Media Guide, FIBA](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/v1736690568/tokyo-2020-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament-9562-media-guide.pdf)
10. [バスケ男子が４４年ぶり出場 東京五輪、開催国枠を付与, JOC](https://www.joc.or.jp/news/011350.html)
11. [Groups confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Basketball Tournaments, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/news-groups-confirmed-for-tokyo-2020-olympic-basketball-tournaments)
12. [This Was No Team USA Men's Basketball Dream Team. But In Tokyo, It Demands Our Respect, Time](https://time.com/6088368/usa-basketball-olympics-mens-gold/)
13. [France vs USA, Men's Basketball Gold Medal Match, Tokyo Replays, Olympic Games](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YSrNfcKvA0)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › International and FIBA basketball (including 3x3 and Olympic basketball)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license