This is how the Olympic Games basketball groups remain: Spain, in the group of death

We have identified all the participants who will compete for the gold medal in basketball at the Paris Olympic Games. After Puerto Rico defeated Lithuania in the Pre-Olympic, all the tickets for the Olympic Games were distributed through that method.

It is worth mentioning that the format of the tournament is divided into three groups of four teams, where the first two in each group and the two best third parties will qualify for the round of 16 matches. All groups are organized like this:

Group A: Spain, against Giannis and Shai

Spain showed its competitiveness against the Bahamas and secured, at home and in front of the Fonteta crowd, one of the last tickets that gave access to the Paris Games. However, the Spanish team will have a very difficult path to advance to the knockout stage: Australia, Greece and Canada They will be the obstacles that Sergio Scariolo’s men must overcome if they want to fight for medals at these Games.

Greece, like Spain, has to go through the Pre-Olympic phase to get a ticket to Paris. And Giannis Antetokounmpo was there to give the Greek team a fresh chance to play at the Games for the first time since 2008, clearly beating Luka Doncic’s Slovenia in the semifinals and Croatia in the finals. Furthermore, if more motivation was needed for the two-time NBA MVP, this will be his first time attending a major Olympic event.

On the other hand, Spain will meet some familiar faces for the first time: the Canada of Jordi Fernández and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Canadian team has already fought in the previous 2023 World Cup, where they left the Spanish team in the second group stage and ended up winning the important bronze medal. This time, the Thunder point guard is coming to the big tournament after finishing second in the MVP voting last season and with a luxury companion: Jamal Murray. Furthermore, without knowing the final squad, Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernández will bring 10 NBA players to Paris, including RJ Barrett and the rebellious Dillon Brooks, but finally without Andrew Wiggins, his future with the Warriors is still pending.

Finally, the other team that will complete group A is Australia. The ‘Aussie’ team will bring up to 8 NBA players to Paris, including former Barça players Joe Ingles and Dante Exum, as well as Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills and former NBA Matthew Dellavedova as most of the squad’s remaining players.

Group B: Wemby, the great attraction of a favorite hostess

We now know the twelve chosen by Vincent Collet to represent the host team at the Olympic Games. French giant Victor Wembanyama will be the great reference for a France that will be looking for the big prize of competing for gold at home. The Spurs extraterrestrial will form an unparalleled defensive wall with the best defensive player of the NBA season, Rudy Gobert. On the other hand, proven players such as Nicolas Batum, Nando De Colo and Evan Fournier are in Paris and Wizards player Bilal Coulibaly is also among those selected.

France emerges as the great favorite of a team that completes it Germany -champion of the last World Cup-, Brazil and Japanese. NBA players Dennis Schröder, brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner and Daniel Theis, as well as former Barcelona player Oscar Da Silva, repeat in the German team. Brazil came to the Olympic Games after passing the Pre-Olympic Qualifiers and, finally, Japan came as the best team in Asia.

Group C: The ‘new Dream Team’, the opponent to beat

With the squad that Steve Kerr fielded in Paris, there is no doubt who will win the battle for the gold medal. After the failure of the United States in the last World Cup, the stars aligned again in the form of a ‘new Dream Team’. Superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard will captain a squad built to destroy any rival in front of them.

In the same group as the United States, there will be MVP Nikola Jokic’s Serbia, who will compete in his second Games, in addition to Puerto Rico, who earned a ticket to Paris by winning the Pre-Olympic, and South Sudan, who appear to have no many options. The Americans start as top favorites in a group with a big incentive to see the reigning MVP against Team USA.