Team USA's 3x3 flop at Olympics raises big questions

Team USA's 3x3 men's team suffered a crushing 21-6 loss to the Netherlands in the final pool game on Sunday, failing to qualify for the knockout round of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The loss meant the country finished with a 2-5 record in its debut in the new Olympic sport, which was introduced at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

The early exit has sparked debate about the future of 3x3 basketball, and the recruiting process followed by USAB to assemble the four-member rosters for the new Olympic sport. While some have argued that the best 3x3 players in the country can be found in street tournaments or leagues such as Big 3 , others feel that active NBA or collegiate players — in their athletic primes — must be recruited to play the format.

The latter formula is already used to assemble Team USA's women's team, with WNBA stars Allisha Gray and Kelsey Plum representing the country in 2021 and Rhyne Howard and Cameron Brink ( pulled out with injury ) committing to 3x3 Olympics this year. However, the men's team still relies on journeymen who were mostly in the NBA for a cup of coffee before they made their careers in Europe or other overseas leagues. These players — namely Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox, Canyon Barry and Dylan Travis — also have 3x3 experience in local and FIBA tournaments, making them viable candidates for Team USA.

But, should that experience really matter?

Ice Cube, the founder of Big 3, is convinced that players from his league — most of whom are retired NBA players — would have fared better in Paris than Team USA's four-man team.

"They got their [expletive] kicked," Cube said of Team USA's 21-6 loss. "They need our players — without a doubt. The whole world can see that."

While the rapper reckons USAB could seek help from the Big 3, one Team USA player has blamed the lack of opportunities for his countrymen to master the 3x3 format. After Sunday's loss, 34-year-old Maddox urged organizers to host more 3x3 events during the four-year gap between Olympics.

"It’s not visible except for every four years in the United States," Maddox said, via Yahoo Sports. "There's no professional-level tournaments there. The closest we get is probably Edmonton, Canada. The team we just played has been building and refining that very team for this very moment for seven years now, and we're just in a little bit of a different situation. Those are all full-time 3x3 guys."

USAB has four years until the 2028 Los Angeles Games to assemble a winning 3x3 roster. One wonders if every suggestion, including Cube's, should be considered.