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After a disappointing 7th place finish at last year’s FIBA World Cup, Team USA Basketball had been looking forward to re-staking its claim as the dominant team on the international basketball scene at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Unfortunately, the 2020 Games were put on hold as the world came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, though, we know when the Tokyo Olympics will take place: July 23, 2021 through August 8, 2021.
IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Tokyo Metropolitan Government announce new dates for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 https://t.co/QITtT5dcl8 pic.twitter.com/DHi4u74ZXa
— Olympics (@Olympics) March 30, 2020
Here is the press release from FIBA:
FIBA statement on the revised Tokyo 2020 dates pic.twitter.com/PGpcXdrMec
— FIBA media (@FIBA_media) March 30, 2020
A late summer schedule increases the likelihood that NBA players will be able to compete for Team USA and their various international opponents in 2021. A spring time frame had been a possibility, in which case there would have been overlap with the 2020-21 NBA season. This final decision doesn’t completely eliminate that possibility, as the NBA will likely be operating on a different time frame than previous seasons moving forward. However, it’s reasonable to expect the league’s top stars competing for their countries next summer, which is something we will all eagerly await.