Japan has become a crucial part of basketball's global expansion in the 21st century, and this summer it serves as one of the 12 countries and territories to compete for gold in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
It won't be an easy ride for Japan — Yuta Watanabe, Rui Hachimura and company sit in a tough Group B that includes 2023 FIBA World Cup champion Germany, a France team that features Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert and a scrappy Brazil team.
Team USA enters the Olympic basketball tournament a whopping -650 favorite on BetMGM, while Canada (+1000), France (+1100), Serbia (+1400), and Greece (+2200) round out the top five to win it all. Japan's current odds to win gold are a +25000 long shot.
Still, anything can happen in international hoops, and Japan has plenty of above-average talent ready to show out and make its natives proud.
MORE: Watch the 2024 Olympics with Fubo (7-day free trial)
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Team Japan and how to watch its quest for international glory including its full schedule, TV broadcast coverage, full roster and coaching staff.
Japan Basketball Schedule 2024
The opening ceremony at the 2024 Olympics is Friday, July 26. The men's basketball tournament tips off on July 27 and ends with the medal games on Aug. 10.
Japan is one of 12 teams to qualify for the Paris Olympics. It will be playing in Group B, which includes France, Germany, and Japan.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| July 27 | Japan vs. Germany | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| July 30 | Japan vs. France | 11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Aug. 2 | Japan vs. Brazil | 5 p.m. | Peacock |
| Aug. 6 | Men's Quarterfinals* | TBD | USA, E!, Peacock, Fubo |
| Aug. 8 | Men's Semifinals* | TBD | USA, Peacock, Fubo |
| Aug. 10 | Men's medal games* | TBD | NBC, USA, Fubo |
*if qualified
How to watch Olympic basketball games
- TV channels: NBC | USA | E! | CNBC
- Live streams: Fubo , Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
All of Japan's three games during the group phase will air live exclusively on Peacock. Select Olympic basketball games from Group B including Japan vs. Germany will re-air in primetime on USA.
Olympic men's 5-on-5 basketball competition will air on an array of television networks, including NBC, CNBC, E!, and USA.
Those games can also be streamed on Fubo , your streaming home for the Olympics. Fubo offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy.
Japan Olympic men's basketball roster
| No. | Player | Pos. | Team/Club | | 8 | Rui Hachimura | PF | Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) | | 12 | Yuta Watanabe | SF | Chiba Jets (Japan) | | 2 | Yuki Togashi (C) | PG | Chiba Jets (Japan) | | 4 | Akira Jacobs | SF | University of Hawaii | | 5 | Yuki Kawamura | PG | Yokohama B-Corsairs (Japan) | | 6 | Makoto Hiejima | SG | Utsunomiya Brex (Japan) | | 7 | Kai Toews | PG | Nagasaki Velca (Japan) | | 24 | Josh Hawkinson | F/C | Sun Rockers Shibuya (Japan) | | 30 | Keisei Tominaga | SG | Indiana Pacers (NBA) | | 34 | Hugh Watanabe | C | Ryukyu Golden Kings (Japan) | | 91 | Hirotaka Yoshii | SF | Alvark Tokyo (Japan) | | 18 | Yudai Baba | SF | Nagasaki Velca (Japan) |
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Japan Olympic men's basketball coaching staff
| Name | Position |
| Tom Hovasse | Head coach |
| Corey Gaines | Assistant coach |
| Geoffrey Katsuhisa | Assistant coach |
| Yoshio Sasa | Assistant coach |
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