Basketball (Olympic)

A LeBron and Bronny James situation is not in the cards for 40-year-old Carmelo Anthony and his son Kiyan.

On The Kiyan Anthony Show, Kiyan mentioned that he believed there might be a chance for his dad to make a return for a future Olympic appearance, but the man himself shut that idea down (11:15 mark).

"I don't want to replace nobody, they deserve to be on that team," Carmelo said. "I would come out and just be like a little honorary captain."

Carmelo, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, had a 19-year career before retiring in 2023. His final Olympic appearance came at the 2016 Rio Games, where the U.S. men's team won the gold medal.

2004: 🥉
2008: 🥇
2012: 🥇
2016: 🥇
 
Carmelo Anthony more than left his mark on the Olympics!
 #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/d7HywfJuTY

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 7, 2021

The former New York Knicks forward represented Team USA for 14 years, earning one bronze medal and three consecutive golds during his tenure.

Entering his second full season of retirement, Kiyan was not surprised by his dad's decision not to return to the court.

"I think it's over," Kiyan said. "He's been getting too comfortable, chilling and working."

Carmelo ranks first in U.S. Olympic men's basketball for games played, with a total of 31, recording 336 points and 125 rebounds.

Nikola Jokić is planning to play for Serbia in the 2024 Summer Olympics, according to Bozidar Maljkovic, the President of the country's Olympic Committee.

When speaking to reporters about the team's silver-medal performance in the World Cup, Maljkovic pointed out Serbia did not have Jokić or EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic on the roster.

"We didn't have NBA MVP, Nikola Jokić. Neither Vasilije Micic, the MVP of the EuroLeague. Nor Nikola Kalinic. I think we come together and get the best out of us, as in all sports. ... By the way, I already announced that in Paris, they will be all, Jokic included. The Paris Games will be a party, and I am confident that Serbian sport will have a large participation," Maljkovic said.

Jokić won a silver medal as part of Serbia's 2016 Olympic team but sat out of the 2020 Summer Games. He returned in a starring role for Serbia's 2022 EuroBasket team but sat out this summer's World Cup after leading the Nuggets to an NBA championship.

Serbia is currently the No. 5 team in the world in the FIBA world rankings and has earned two Olympic silver medals since separating from the former Yugoslavia in 1992. The country made the gold-medal game in its first Olympic Games in 1996 before returning to prominence in recent years, thanks in large part to Jokić.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP averaged 21.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game at the 2022 EuroBasket tournament.

FIBA announced Tuesday that Russia has been barred from qualifying for the men's Olympic basketball tournament in Paris in 2024, per the Associated Press.

This was an expected decision given that the organization announced on March 1, 2022, that Russia would not be allowed to participate in FIBA basketball competitions until further notice because of the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Bulgaria will be taking Russia's place in qualification tournaments as the next-highest-ranked team in Europe, per FIBA.

The Russian women's team already could not attempt qualification for the Olympics because it did not partake in World Cup and EuroBasket qualification last year as part of FIBA's suspension.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate as neutrals while the national teams remain banned.

Russian athletes were not allowed to participate under their team's national banner at the 2020 Summer Olympics or the 2022 Winter Olympics because the World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia from international sport for four years in Dec. 2019 for its state-run doping program.

The Paris Olympics will be the first Games post-ban. They are scheduled to take place from July 26 - August 11, 2024.

Joel Embiid recently became an American citizen, but the Philadelphia 76ers star could still represent France at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

French national team coach Vincent Collet is hopeful Embiid will join the squad for the next Olympics, which will take place in Paris.

"Now he has both nationalities, and he has to choose one basketball nationality, which is not the same," Collet told Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. "So, that is a choice. Nobody can do anything to change it."

According to Reynolds, "it was widely presumed" Embiid would play for France at the Olympics and possibly also the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The 28-year-old was born in Cameroon and also holds French citizenship.

Embiid came to the United States for high school and one year of college at Kansas before being drafted by the 76ers in 2014. Last month, he became a citizen of the United States.

"I've been here for a long time," he told Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. "My son is American. I felt like, I'm living here and it's a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?"

His dual citizenship allows him to compete for either France or Team USA, but FIBA requires him to choose one before competing in a major tournament.

The United States has dominated men's basketball at the Olympics, winning seven of the last eight tournaments since professional players were allowed to compete, including four straight gold medals.

France has still been formidable on the international scene, beating the United States in the 2019 World Cup thanks to NBA players Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Frank Ntilikina. France earned the silver medal at the 2020 Olympics after a five-point loss to USA in the finals.

Adding Embiid, who won the scoring title in 2021-22 while finishing second in voting for MVP, would make the team a legitimate contender to win gold for the first time on home soil.

"I know he met some of our players to discuss," Collet said of Embiid. "I think he should play with us. But we will see. We will respect his decision whatever it is."

Games for both of the Australian national teams highlight the Olympic basketball schedule for Friday in the States. 

The women will kick things off with an early morning matchup against China with a lot on the line. The men will close out the action in the late evening or really early Saturday morning depending on how you look at it. 

In between, France will have an opportunity to officially sweep Group A in men's action by beating an Iran team that just had the doors blown off by Team USA. 

Here's a look at the schedule and where you can catch every game live. The men's game between Australia and Germany will be re-aired on Saturday between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET on the USA network. 

      

Olympic Basketball Schedule

Friday, July 30

Women's: China vs. Australia (-5.5), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Men's: Iran vs. France (-26), 9 p.m. NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Saturday, July 31

Men's: Italy (-7.5) vs. Nigeria, 12:40 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Men's: Australia (-8.5) vs. Germany, 4:20 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Odds vis DraftKings Sportsbook

    

The action starts with an important Group C game in the women's bracket. China, fresh off a dominant win over Puerto Rico will look to all but secure a quarterfinals spot with a win over the Aussies. 

Yueru Li was a force for China against a hapless Puerto Rico frontcourt. She posted 21 points and 12 rebounds while going 9-of-11 from the field. The Chinese owned the glass, out-rebounding their opponent 55-30. 

Australia didn't have any problems crashing the glass in its last game, but it couldn't slow down Emma Meesseman on the inside. She dominated with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in a 15-point win for Belgium. 

If China wins, it will spell doom for Australia's bid to get in the quarterfinals. It'll be relying on point differential for any hope. If Australia can win as a small favorite, this group becomes really interesting with one game left for each team. 

On the men's side, France has all but locked up its group by opening with a win over the United States and scoring a 20-point win over the Czech Republic. Evan Fournier has had the hot hand for the French. He has scored 49 points across two games and led the team in scoring each time out. 

The size up front for Les Bleus tends to be an issue for opponents too. They have routinely gone with lineups that include both Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier, giving them two true centers who can defend the rim. 

Nigeria's Olympic hopes are quickly fading. After scoring a surprise win over the United States in a preparatory friendly, the Tigers have fallen to 0-2 in these games. They followed up an opening loss to Australia with a tough loss to Germany. 

Their only path to the quarterfinals now would have to include a dominant win over Italy. That will be tough, considering the Italians are in a dogfight themselves to qualify. They hold a 10-point lead in the scoring differential column over Germany. Both are at 1-1. 

Nigeria's bigs are going to be key if it wants to beat Italy. Australian forward Joe Ingles credited their post players with being the difference in picking up a win against the common opponent. 

"Our bigs won the rebounds and extra possessions that we probably wouldn't have gotten without them doing that good. A good win, against a good team," Ingles said, per FIBA.

The Boomers may be the best team in action. They'll take on Germany with an opportunity to officially win Group B by sweeping the field. 

Patty Mills has been key in the team's success thus far. He's led the team in assists in both games while scoring 25 in the opener to provide Australia with a steady stream of offense. 

The point guard battle between Mills and Maodo Lo should be a fun one. Lo has been a revelation for the German team. He paced the German offense with 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a shootout against the Italians. He followed it up by dishing out nine assists against Nigeria. 

He'll have to put up another huge performance if Germany is to secure a spot in the quarterfinals and stun Australia. 

             

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There are still plenty of questions surrounding Team USA and its pursuit of a gold medal in men's basketball, but it'll get its next opportunity to work things out against the Czech Republic in the final group-stage game.

The Americans stumbled out of the gates with an 83-76 loss to France in their Olympic opener. However, they bounced back with a 120-66 win over Iran, taking off some of the pressure by winning in dominant fashion.

That pressure will come back quickly if they don't once again dominate against a Czech Republic squad that is ranked 12th in the latest FIBA world rankings.

The matchup will represent the United States' final opportunity to get in sync before the quarterfinals begin. The top two teams in each group will move on with the final two spots going to the third-place teams with the best point differential.

Given the United States' lopsided result against Iran, it is likely already in, but this game won't be about winning and losing, it will be about preparation for the knockouts. Here's all the info you need to catch the game.

              

Olympic Men's Basketball

Who: United States vs. Czech Republic

When: Saturday, July 31 at 8 a.m. ET

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com and Peacock

TV: NBC

           

After shooting a middling 10-of-32 from the three-point line against France, the US unleashed a barrage of three-pointers against Iran. Burying their opponent with 19-of-39 shooting from deep as a team.

That movement was led by a 7-of-13 performance from Damian Lillard, who led all scorers with 21 points.

Lillard credited that success to a shift in attitude that came after talking to Draymond Green.

"We spoke about it, and it was simple. I just said 'I should have shot it,' and it won’t happen again," Lillard said in reference to their conversation after the France loss, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "I'm gonna come correct going forward."

How about 13 (!) first half 3-pointers 🔥@Dame_Lillard 18 PTS, 6 3FG#Tokyo2020 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/MLhrd4QXcA

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2021

Green's leadership might exceed what he's putting up in the box score right now. He's one of the few players on the roster with previous Olympic experience. He was on the gold medal-winning 2016 squad and is a three-time NBA champion.

Perhaps the most encouraging developments against Iran were signs of life from Khris Middleton and Devin Booker. Both were late arrivals to Tokyo as they went through protocols after the NBA Finals. The duo went 1-of-8 from the field against France.

With a few days to adjust to being in Tokyo and playing with the team, they looked much better. The pair of Finals' foes put up 26 points and went a combined 10-of-15 from the floor against Iran.

A sentiment that seems to be echoed by those within Team USA is the need for their scorers to be more aggressive when it comes to shooting their shot.

"We were a bit too unselfish early on, and it bit us," Kevin Durant said after the Iran win, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "Tonight, guys came out super aggressive. It may look bad when the shots don't go in, but we still had great intentions ever since we got together."

Whether that shift in thinking equates to beating the teams who are the same level as France remains to be seen. The knockout stage will see them once again take on teams with multiple NBA players and even potentially stars like Luka Doncic and the Slovenians.

For now, they are preparing to face a team in the Czech Republic that lost to France by 20 and is led Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky. The United States' sheer firepower should get them through this one.

Prediction: USA 95, Czech Republic 73

The pressure can mount quickly in the new Olympic format. With only three guaranteed games for each team in the tournament, a bad start in group play is insurmountable. 

That puts teams like Argentina on the men's side and France on the women's side in precarious positions on Thursday as they look to rebound from disappointing losses to start off the games in Tokyo. 

Argentina will attempt to dig itself out of a hole it created in a loss to Luka Doncic and Slovenia. They'll now face a must-win game against a talented Spain team that is looking to win the group. 

The United States women's team will also be in action. After host nation Japan pulled off an upset against the French, they'll have to be locked in to ensure they don't suffer the same fate. 

Here's a look at the whole schedule for Thursday into early Friday morning. Live broadcast information is included but it's also worth noting that the Spain vs. Argentina game will re-air at 6 p.m. ET on the USA network, while the women's game between the United States and Japan will re-air between 2-6 p.m. ET on Friday. 

Olympic Basketball Schedule

Thursday, July 29

Men's: Spain (-8.5) vs. Argentina, NBC Sports Network, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Belgium (-29) vs. Puerto Rico, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

        

Friday, July 30

Women's: United States (-19) vs. Japan, USA, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: France (-7.5) vs. Nigeria, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The action starts with a crucial game in Group C on the men's side as Argentina has serious work to do to make it out of the group stage. 

In this year's format, the top two teams automatically advance to the quarterfinals. The two best third-place teams will also make the field, but that comes down to point differential, which can get a little wonky. 

That means the Argentines are already running out of opportunities to ensure they get out of this stage. Even if they don't win, they will need to make sure their point differential, which is already -18, doesn't swell much more. 

Argentina has been a factor in Olympic basketball recently but has seen diminishing returns every four years since it took gold in 2004. 

A 41-year-old Luis Scola led the team in scoring 23 points against Slovenia. Facing the likes of Marc Gasol and Willy Hernangomez on the interior against Spain, it will need some of the young players and perimeter threats to dial it up a notch. 

Spain looked satisfactory in an 88-77 win over Japan. Rui Hachimura put up 20 points for the host team, but it's still a team that only qualified by virtue of the games being in Tokyo. 

On the women's side, the first game between Belgium and Puerto Rico doesn't look particularly close on paper. Belgium earned a strong 85-70 win over Australia in their opener, while Puerto Rico is one of the thinner groups of talent in the field. 

But Emma Meesseman is a good reason to tune in. She lit it up against the Aussies with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in her Olympic debut. She should put up big numbers in another win. 

The United States will have to be focused to make sure Japan doesn't pull off another upset. The Japanese team might not have any WNBA players, but they play with intensity and will play their whole bench, as they love to apply pressure. 

They held the French to 4-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc, so that will be something to watch. Meesseman's big day was only rivaled by the USA's A'ja Wilson in her Olympic debut, as she scored 19 points and 13 rebounds. 

The United States turned it over 25 times in the win over Nigeria. Similar negligence could hurt them against a team that likes to run as much as Japan. 

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France's next step in their quest for gold in the men's tournament, an encore for Luka Doncic and a key Group A matchup on the women's side highlight Wednesday's Olympic Basketball schedule. 

Pool play will continue on Wednesday with the table starting to take shape and the stakes elevating. Some teams are off to a great start and are in the driver's seat of their groups, including the French men's team. Their upset of the United States means they likely just have to beat the Czech Republic to ensure a spot in the quarterfinals. 

Doncic has his Slovenia team in a similar position. They line up against host nation Japan in another game with a wide spread. 

The women's side figures to offer more competitive basketball on Wednesday. Canada is a big favorite over South Korea, but Spain and Serbia appear to be evenly matched on paper. 

Here's a look at the schedule along with important broadcast information and the latest lines. 

                

Olympic Basketball Schedule

Wednesday, July 28

Men's: Czech Republic vs. France (-9.5), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Canada (-20) vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Thursday, July 29

Men's: Slovenia (-20.5) vs. Japan, 12:40 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Spain vs. Serbia (-1), 4:20 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

           

France finds itself on the brink of winning its group and still riding high on the momentum of beating the U.S. However, the veteran squad also knows the bigger prize is still up for grabs. 

"I got to lead the team because I know these guys," leading scorer Evan Fournier said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "It's a hell of a win. Our country is going to be extremely proud. But it's just one game, to be honest."

It did show the true potential of the French team, though. Fournier played an incredible game against the Americans, putting up 28 points while shooting 50 percent from the field. Rudy Gobert serves as the defensive anchor, giving them a strong inside-out duo. 

The scary thing is that France didn't even shoot all that well. It connected on 29.6 percent of its triples as a team. 

It will have an opportunity to get dialed in against a Czech Republic squad that beat Iran in a competitive game to open its schedule. It's led by Tomas Satoransky of the Chicago Bulls and Jan Vesely, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but the two combined for just 17 points in the team's first game. 

It will need a much better effort from Satoransky to find success against France. He shot just 2-of-14 from the field. 

Luka Doncic put on a historic performance in his Olympic debut. The 48 points he recorded in a win over Argentina is tied for the second-most in a game by any men's player, let alone in a debut. 

Now, the 22-year-old will get an opportunity to tee off against a Japanese team that figures to be outmatched after giving up 20 points to Ricky Rubio in just under 22 minutes. 

On the women's side, Canada has the opportunity to get back on track against South Korea. It lost a tight game to Serbia to open its tournament bid and now needs a victory to set up a crucial game against Spain with a quarterfinal berth on the line. 

Just how desperate Spain will be when that game comes around depends on its matchup with Serbia late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning depending on your time zone. The Serbs showcased a strong defense when it held Canada to 38 percent shooting in the opener. 

The winner will all but guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals. The loser is going to have some work to do, especially if it's Spain with a game against Canada on tap. 

             

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The United States will attempt to circle the wagons and get back on track on Day 3 after an eye-opening loss to France to open up their Olympic run. 

The American entered the Games as a heavy favorite to take gold for the fourth consecutive Olympics. But their loss to the French showed that won't be as easy this time around. 

Things are set to be a bit easier when they tip-off late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning depending on your time zone. They will get a chance to right the ship against an Iran squad that figures to be one of the lesser squads in the tournament. 

After that game, one of the teams who have to believe in their opportunity to win gold will be up as Australia takes on Italy. The Boomers are off to a strong start after beating Nigeria 84-67 in their first pool game. 

It's still early in the tournament but some teams are facing do-or-die situations. The group game between Nigeria and Germany will likely send someone home after both teams lost their openers. Here's a look a the complete schedule along with pertinent broadcast information and the latest lines. 

      

Day 3 Olympic Basketball Schedule

Tuesday, July 27

Women's: Australia (-7.5) vs. Belgium, 4 a.m. ET

Women's: Puerto Rico (-17.5) vs. China, 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Men's: Nigeria (-4.5) vs. Germany, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Wednesday, July 28

Men's: United States (-41.5) vs. Iran, 12:40 a.m. ET, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com

Men's: Italy vs. Australia (-8), 4:20 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

United States vs. Iran will re-air on Wednesday afternoon on NBC and in prime time on NBC Sports Network. Italy vs. Australia will re-air on NBC Sports Network at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Odds via FanDuel.

     

There may be a pair of fairly evenly matched teams but all eyes will be on the United States. 

The favorites' loss to France has given the whole event a sense of parity. As more than 40-point favorites against Iran, they aren't likely to be in danger of dropping another game, but they will need to look sharp to get some confidence back. 

While France brought a handful of NBA players to the proceedings in Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum, the Iranian team doesn't have any. 

The American side knows there is still plenty of hope. Specifically, Damian Lillard, who is playing in his first Olympics, noted the expectations that come with being on Team USA may have created an illusion that they should be blowing teams out. 

"I think that's why a lot of people will make it seem like the end of the world, but our job as professionals and this team and representing our country at the Olympics, we've got to do what's necessary, and we still can accomplish what we came here to accomplish," Lillard said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. 

Going against an Iranian team that should allow them some space to get into a rhythm and figure out lineups that work could be the kind of opportunity they need to prepare for the quarterfinal stage after group play. 

Before the Red, White and Blue suit up the first of two important games in Group B will go down. Nigeria and Germany will likely be fighting for their tournament lives after both teams dropped their openers.

The Germans' defense was shredded by Italy who scored 92 points in 40 minutes and shot 50 percent from the floor as a team. Now, they'll see a Nigerian team that boasts eight NBA players. 

Group B could find its winner early in the morning in the States. Both Australia and Italy won their openers so the winner of this game will have a decided advantage in winning the group. 

The Boomers will be the favorites after their win over Nigeria to open up play. The African nation forced them into 22 turnovers, though, so the execution wasn't quite what they would like to see. 

"[We] obviously didn't play as well as we would have liked," Mills said after the game, per Gadiel Notelovitz of Fox Sports. "[But] what we're trying to do here is team effort and everyone playing their part, and that's what we did today."

Despite the sloppiness, the Aussies still won comfortably led by Patty Mills' 25 points and six assists. 

Italy, meanwhile, got a balanced performance from its key contributors. They had five players in double-digits and shot 15-of-31 from beyond the three-point line in a 10-point win over Germany. If they shoot like that again, Australia could be in trouble. 

      

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