The men’s basketball quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics are filled with NBA champions, All-Stars, and award winners. Every game feels intense, like a Game 7.
Tuesday is the crucial day of the Olympic men’s tournament. Eight teams will compete, four will be eliminated, and the four teams that advance will be closer to winning a medal.
The quarterfinal matchups are the four-time defending gold medalist U.S. vs. Brazil; Canada vs. France in a clash of top pre-tournament contenders; reigning World Cup champion Germany vs. Greece; and Serbia vs. Australia.
Each game includes at least one NBA champion, one MVP winner or finalist, and at least one regular All-Star (with the U.S. having about 10 regular All-Stars).
“The guys, I think, are well prepared for it,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “They’ve done a great job of not only preparing on the floor but adapting to these unusual circumstances of having 12 NBA starters adjusting to being a 12-man team here and some guys playing certain nights, not playing other nights.
They’ve all really committed to the goal. And the goal is within sight now.”
There are 15 current or former All-Stars still competing, with a total of 97 selections among them. Most are from the U.S., but also include Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, France’s Rudy Gobert, and Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“It’s a lot of great teams,” said U.S. forward LeBron James, who is seeking his fourth Olympic medal and third gold.
There are many great players too. For some, reaching this stage is routine: Australia’s Patty Mills is playing in his fifth Olympic quarterfinal, and teammate Joe Ingles is also here for the fifth time. For the U.S., stars like James and Kevin Durant are in the quarterfinals for the fourth time.
For some players, this is new ground. Antetokounmpo has never reached this stage in the Olympics before.
“It’s incredible,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m happy that I’m here, I don’t take it for granted. I will enjoy it to the fullest because you never know if you’re going to have this opportunity again.”
Also in the competition is France’s Victor Wembanyama, the NBA rookie of the year, who is expected to become an All-Star and MVP candidate soon, possibly as early as this coming season. The hopes for his country’s basketball team depend on him.
“If we want to win it all, we’re going to have to win against everybody eventually,” Wembanyama said.
The U.S., Germany, and Canada are the three teams still unbeaten. None of that will matter on Tuesday; if any of the favorites lose, they’re out. It’s a win-or-go-home in Paris.
The semifinal losers on Thursday will have a chance to compete for the bronze medal on Saturday. But Tuesday’s quarterfinals are expected to be full of drama because of the high stakes.
“Most important game of the tournament,” said Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic. “When you win the quarterfinals, you have a chance to fight for the medal. That’s why we are here.”
The tougher side of the draw seems to be where the winner of Canada vs. France will meet the winner of Germany vs. Greece in the semifinals. The other semifinal on Thursday will have the winner of U.S. vs. Brazil playing either Serbia or Australia.
