If Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to compete in the Olympics next summer, Greece will have to win a few games in Canada first.
The draws to see which countries will grab the remaining basketball berths in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics B次元官网网址� four menB次元官网网址檚 spots and 10 womenB次元官网网址檚 spots in the 12-team fields B次元官网网址� were held Wednesday in Switzerland, and a Greece-Canada matchup in one of those tournaments is guaranteed in the early stages of the event next June.
And thereB次元官网网址檚 a chance that the turnaround for some players and coaches could be incredibly quick. The menB次元官网网址檚 qualifiers start on June 23, just two days after a possible Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Canada drew Greece as one of the five teams coming into Victoria next summer B次元官网网址� so there will be some player and coaching star power. Greece will be coached by Rick Pitino, Canada is being coached by Nick Nurse of the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors and some top Canadian players already are starting to commit to the event.
B次元官网网址淚 want to play my part to help push our team into the Olympics and compete at the highest world stage. LetB次元官网网址檚 go Canada,B次元官网网址� Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets wrote Tuesday on Twitter. Oklahoma CityB次元官网网址檚 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, New OrleansB次元官网网址� Nickeil Alexander-Walker and TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Oshae Brissett also have committed, and MiamiB次元官网网址檚 Kelly Olynyk said earlier this fall that he would consider it as well.
ItB次元官网网址檚 unclear if Antetokounmpo intends to play in the qualifiers. His Milwaukee Bucks are one of the top teams in the NBA, with a good chance of reaching the NBA Finals or at least making a long playoff run.
Canada, Serbia, Lithuania and Croatia are the host sites for the menB次元官网网址檚 qualifiers. There are six teams in each, split into a pair of three-team groups at each site. Teams in the same group will play each other once to determine two semifinalists from each side. Those four teams will play a single-elimination tournament to decide the winner, and each of the four winners will get an Olympic berth.
B次元官网网址淏eing able to host a FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament at home is a great opportunity for our team on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,B次元官网网址� Canada Basketball CEO Glen Grunwald said when his nation was announced as a host for the qualifiers.
The womenB次元官网网址檚 qualifiers to be held in France, Serbia, China and Belgium are not as daunting as the menB次元官网网址檚 events.
There are 16 teams playing, with two B次元官网网址� the U.S., as World Cup champions, and Japan, as the host nation B次元官网网址� already having earned berths into the Olympics. That leaves 14 teams playing for the final 10 spots.
There are eight menB次元官网网址檚 teams already in the Olympics: host Japan, along with Nigeria, Argentina, the U.S., Iran, France, Spain and Australia.
WOMENB次元官网网址橲 QUALIFIERS
Games to be played Feb. 6-9
(World ranking in parentheses)
Format: Round-robin at each site, top three finishers qualify for the Olympics with the exception of the U.S. and Japan, which already are in the Tokyo field.
At Bourges, France: France (5), Australia (2), Brazil (15), Puerto Rico (23).
At Belgrade, Serbia: Serbia (7), U.S. (1), Nigeria (17), Mozambique (43).
At Foshan, China: China (8), Spain (3), Britain (18), Korea (19).
At Ostende, Belgium: Belgium (9), Canada (8), Japan (10), Sweden (22).
MENB次元官网网址橲 QUALIFIERS
Games to be played June 23-28
(World ranking in parentheses)
Format: Teams in each group play once, and the top two finishers from each group advance to qualifying semifinals. Only one team from each site will qualify for the Olympics.
At Victoria, Canada
Group A: Canada (21), Greece (7), China (27)
Group B: Czech Republic (10), Turkey (15), Uruguay (43)
At Split, Croatia
Group A: Germany (18), Russia (9), Mexico (25)
Group B: Croatia (14), Brazil (11), Tunisia (33)
At Kaunas, Lithuania
Group A: Lithuania (8), Venezuela (20), Korea (30)
Group B: Poland (13), Slovenia (16), Angola (32)
At Belgrade, Serbia
Group A: Serbia (6), Dominican Republic (19), New Zealand (24)
Group B: Italy (14), Puerto Rico (23), Senegal (35)
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
