How does the Olympic Basketball Group Stage work? Australia join Canada, Greece, and Spain in 'Group of Death'

The groups for the 2024 Olympic Basketball tournament are officially set, with 12 total teams to compete for glory. 

The competition will be stacked with talent, from the reigning World Champions Germany, to a loaded USA team gunning for a fifth-straight Olympic gold, and a hopeful Boomers squad looking for just their second-ever major tournament medal. 

But before the hardware is handed out, the contenders will need to make their way through a brutal group stage, where anything can happen. 

How does the Olympic basketball group stage work?

With 12 nations qualifying for the Paris Olympics in basketball, these teams have been split into three groups of four. 

Each team will play every other team in their group, with the two most successful team from each group qualifying for the next round. 

Two additional teams will advance from the remaining team, going by record. 

These eight teams will then be ranked one-to-eight, and seeded into the knock-out round of the tournament, comprised of the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then the Gold medal and Bronze medal matches. 

Olympic format: pic.twitter.com/ijhTohUGfI

— Jordan McCallum (@jordanmcnbl) July 8, 2024

2024 Olympic Games Basketball Groups

The groups for the Paris Olympics have been finalised, with three groups of four teams sorted through various methods of qualification. 

Undoubtedly the toughest of these is Group A, who has claimed this tournament's 'Group of Death' moniker, made up of Australia, Canada, Spain, and Greece, all four of whom are genuine medal chances. 

Group B is headlined by reigning World Champions Germany, as well as title contenders France and the Olympic debut of young superstar Victor Wembanyama. 

Gold Medal favourites USA are all but assured to come out of Group C, which also contains three-time MVP Nikola Jokic's Serbia. 

When does the Olympic Basketball begin?

The 2024 Olympic Basketball tournament will begin on Saturday, July 27, with Australia and Spain opening proceedings. 

The Group Stage will run until Sunday, August 4, finishing with Serbia against South Sudan. 

The Quarter-finals will take place two days later, on August 6, followed by the Semi-finals on August 8, and then the Bronze medal game on the 10th and the Gold medal game the following day.