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Four Teams Secure Their Spots in Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament
Jul
Giannis Antetokounmpo is heading to the Olympics for the first time.
One of basketball’s biggest global stars, Antetokounmpo and his native Greece secured their place in the Paris Olympics after a final qualification tournament victory over Croatia. They are one of four teams that emerged from the global qualifiers to join the Olympic tournament.
Here’s a look at the four teams that earned their spots in Paris. They join the eight previously qualified teams — the United States, France, South Sudan, Canada, Japan, Germany, Serbia, and Australia — forming a 12-team tournament.
Greece
At age 29, Giannis Antetokounmpo boasts a Hall of Fame résumé — two-time MVP, NBA champion, NBA Defensive Player of the Year. His emotional reaction to Greece’s latest win, shedding tears on the bench, highlighted how much leading his nation to the Olympics meant to him. Greece returns to the Games for the first time since 2008 after defeating Croatia 80-69, despite a strong performance from the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, who scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. The game was close in the first half, but Greece pulled away in the second half behind 23 points and eight rebounds from Antetokounmpo.
The Greek roster also includes Kostas Antetokounmpo (Giannis’s brother who plays for Panathinaikos), former Florida star Nick Calathes (who had a stint with Memphis in the NBA), and center Georgios Papagiannis, a former No. 13 NBA draft pick who now plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Greece is placed in Group A of the men’s basketball tournament, alongside tough competition from Australia, Canada, and Spain — all with rosters filled with NBA talent and considered medal contenders.
Puerto Rico
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Tremont Waters — the former LSU star with three NBA seasons under his belt — led Puerto Rico past Lithuania 79-68, combining for 41 points to secure their spot at the Paris Olympics.
Puerto Rico qualifies for the Olympic tournament for the first time since 2004. The team relies heavily on the guard play of Alvarado and Waters, but other key players include Jordan Howard (Central Arkansas alum) and George Conditt IV (former Iowa State standout center).
Puerto Rico is placed in Group C and faces a challenging path to advance, needing to upset powerhouses such as the U.S. or Serbia, with South Sudan also in the group.
Spain
Rudy Fernandez is making history by heading to his sixth Olympics, the first men’s basketball player to achieve this feat.
As a key figure in Spain’s golden era of basketball, Fernandez is supported by younger talents like big men Willy Hernangomez (who played seven NBA seasons before joining Barcelona) and Memphis Grizzlies center Santi Aldama. Lorenzo Brown, the former NC State star with five NBA seasons, orchestrates the team as point guard, scoring 18 points in Spain’s 86-78 win over The Bahamas, led by Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton. Warriors wing Usman Garuba added 10 points in the victory.
Spain joins Greece in a challenging Group A, also featuring Australia and Canada.
Brazil
Former NBA big man Bruno Caboclo and his Brazilian teammates pulled off upsets to qualify, overcoming teams like Nikola Vucevic’s Montenegro and Davis Bertans’s Latvia (missing Kristaps Porzingis in this tournament).
Brazil’s deep roster includes Leo Meindl, Marcelinho Huertas, Lucas Dias, Cristiano Felicio, and Raul Neto. Caboclo led with 21 points, and Meindl added 20 in their 94-69 win over host Latvia. Brazil’s 19-0 first-quarter run set the tone for the game.
Brazil is placed in Group B, where they will face host France, Germany, and Japan.
