Former NBA player Dirk Nowitzki celebrates with Sonja Greinacher. GETTY IMAGES

Street basketball was an Olympic sport for the second time in Paris 2024. Only the USA women's team has repeated as medallists in both events, but without repeating any player from Tokyo 2020. The Place de La Concorde has been enhralled by a very dynamic and fast sport that does not allow you to take your eye off the ball for a moment.

Breaking, Skateboarding, BMX Cycling and 3x3 basketball were the sports that took place at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Sports that serve to bring the Olympic Games closer to the emblematic places of a city, although there are others that also serve as an example, such as road cycling, triathlon, walking and marathon running.



3x3 basketball is to basketball what rugby sevens is to classic rugby. The games are much shorter, you can play more than one game a day and you have to be much quicker and more concentrated, because the dimensions of the field are smaller and you run much faster. 10 minutes of play or 21 points scored for the game to be over.

In the men's competition, Latvia was the team to watch. They were gold medallists at Tokyo 2020 and their four-man squad included two of the champions from three years ago, Nauris Miezis and Karlis Lasmanis. Their performance in the group stage was spectacular. All eight participants play each other, and the Latvians won all seven matches. They only suffered against USA and France.

The Netherlands qualified directly for the semi-finals after winning five matches and losing two. USA and China were eliminated, and the third- through sixth-placed teams had to play play play-in matches to reach the semi-finals. Lithuania comfortably saw off Poland, while France lifted the crowd out of their seats to eliminate Serbia on a Timothe Vergiat three-pointer with seconds left in regulation time.



5 August was the appointed day for the semi-finals and medal matches to conclude the tournament. The Netherlands showed no mercy to Lithuania in a semi-final that ended on time, but where there was no excitement. The score was 20-9. France faced the rival to beat, and beat them. Latvia started out on top, but the crowd carried the French into the final by a 14-21 scoreline that reflects a match that was less even than it turned out to be.

Baltic duel for the bronze medal. A game that started with a lot of caution, but the two teams gradually increased the pace of scoring, without Lithuania giving in. In the final minutes they surprised the Tokyo champions and took the bronze, with two free throws by Evaldas Dziaugys deciding the game with two seconds left (18-21) and 9 points scored by Sarunas Vangelis.

The final was a spectacle. For the atmosphere at La Concorde and for the excitement of the game. It also started with few baskets, but France came alive in the final stretch of the game. Worthy De Jong prevented the hosts from glory. First, with two baskets, the second at the buzzer, which took the game into overtime, and then two more to win the gold medal (17-18). De Jong scored seven points, not too many, but the last four to become champions. He was voted MVP of the tournament.



Women's tournament: Germany, specialists in close finishes

The German team was the better team, but only just. They were a calm team with a lot of distribution of tasks. Knows how to play even finals. Always looking at the clock. They didn't win a game by scoring 21 points. The only game they didn't complete 10 minutes of play was the one they lost against Australia in the first round. They didn't lose any more games. 

They finished top of the group, with four teams tied behind them. The points difference gave second place to Spain, who could rest until the semi-finals, just like the Germans. Azerbaijan and France were eliminated.



In the play-in matches, USA fulfilled the prediction against China, 21-13, and Canada overwhelmed Australia, in a team duel that ended tied in the group, 21-10. Kacie Bosch scored 9 points without missing a single shot. The game had almost two and a half minutes to spare.

None of the teams that won the play-in made it to the final. Spain stopped USA in a game decided by Sandra Ygueravide in the same way as De Jong in the men's final. She scored Spain's last two points in regulation time, including the one that forced extra time, and the two points that ended extra time (18-16).

The other semi-final also ran out of time and had excitement throughout. Germany shared the tasks a lot, but the leading player was Sonja Greinacher, who led the rhythm of the game and ended up scoring the winning basket at the buzzer. Victory by 16-15 and 11 points from the German star.

USA and Canada were playing for the bronze medal. The Americans, gold medallists at Tokyo 2020, struggled mightily in the match. It was enough for them not to get nervous and look at the clock to see that there was enough time left. In the last minute and a half they finished their comeback with a one-point basket and a free throw by Dearica Hamby, and a two-point shot and another free throw by Cierra Burdick (13-16).



In the final, Spain threatened to break the game open, but the German defence kept the deficit to no more than four points. It was the comeback of the block. All defending and all scoring. The shot that ended up winning the gold was a two-pointer by the tournament MVP, Sonja Grenacher.