The game of 3 on 3 basketball is something that most of us basketball players would have played as kids before we even go to know what playing on a full court is. This summer, FIBA will be looking to make that playground game that Billy Hoyle hustled dudes in in White Men Can't Jump a big event leading up to the London Olympics.
Last summer, the world's governing body on basketball held a world youth 3 on 3 championship where Canada placed seventh on the boys side and eighth on the girls side. It was a success overall and it served as a preamble to this summer where FIBA is hosting the first World 3x3 Tour championships in Miami this September.
Canada Basketball is having it's 3 on 3 events in June and July do determine the representatives heading to the regional championships in New York City throughout July in select cities.
This is all a relatively new thing for FIBA to involve itself in and I think this is good overall. Though it's still in it's infancy stage right now on the global stage, most of us can probably remember the annual 3 on 3 tournaments that would happen around Canada and the US during the late 80s and 90s. I was a kid playing in these tournaments and I did so all the way to when I was in my last years of college. the games were intense, fast paced and and truly test a players two-way skills in a hurry.
I like the idea of this becoming something that FIBA pushes as a competitive sport and as more news out this summer on this particular event I'll look to keep you informed. I heard rumours of becoming a demonstration sport for this or the next Olympiad with an eye on making this an eventual Olympic sport down the road.
This could be an interesting development for sure so stay tuned for more news and opinions as the weeks come.