Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics was the eighteenth appearance of the sport of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. It was held from 28 July to 12 August 2012. The preliminary matches and the women's quarterfinal matches were played in the new Basketball Arena in Olympic Park, which seated up to 12,000 spectators. The men's knockout games and the women's games, from semifinals onward were played in the North Greenwich Arena.

The US men's and US women's teams both successfully defended their Olympic basketball championships of 2008.

Settings

Two settings in London were used for the basketball tournaments: The O2 Arena (referred to as the "North Greenwich Arena" during the Olympics) and the Basketball Arena in Olympic Park at Stratford. The North Greenwich Arena was the setting for the knockout stages for the men, and also from the semifinal games onward for the women, whereas the Basketball Arena was the setting for the preliminary rounds and the women's quarterfinals.

Qualification

The National Olympic Committees may enter up to one 12-player men's team and up to one 12-player women's team.

Host

Initially, basketball was the only team sport in which the host country was not automatically awarded a team in the tournament. This was because the British basketball teams did not exist until 2006, and hence FIBA, the world's regulatory body of basketball, was concerned about the future of the British national basketball teams after 2012, as well as the probable lack of competitiveness of the British teams. However, in a meeting held in Lyon, France, on 13 March 2011, the FIBA's executive board agreed to allow the two British teams to enter automatically after all.

Men's qualification

Women's qualification

Competition format

Twelve qualified nations were drawn into two groups, each consisting of six teams. Each game result merits a corresponding point:

*The team has less than two players available to play on the court.
**A team cannot present five players at the start of the game, or its actions prevent play from being resumed.

In case teams are tied on points, the tiebreaking criteria are, in order of first application:

1. Results of the games involving the tied teams (head-to-head records)
2. Goal average of the games involving the tied teams
3. Goal average of all of the games played
4. Points scored
5. Drawing of lots

The teams with the four best records qualified for the knockout stage, which was a single-elimination tournament. The semifinal winners contested for the gold medal, while the losers played for the bronze medal.

Calendar

Men's competition

The draw for the groups of the men's tournament was made on 30 April 2012. Included are the teams' FIBA World Rankings prior to the tournament.

Women's competition

The draw for the groups of the women's tournament was made on 30 April 2012. Included are the teams' FIBA World Rankings before the tournament.

Referees

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) named the following 30 referees to officiate the basketball games at the 2012 Olympics.

Medal summary

Medal table

Events

Final standings

See also

• Wheelchair basketball at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

References

External links

Media related to Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics at Wikimedia Commons

• Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics. London2012.com. at the UK Government Web Archive (archived 28 February 2013)
• Olympic basketball schedule. London2012.com. at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 May 2012)
• Official results book – Basketball. London2012.com. at the Wayback Machine (archived 11 May 2013)
• London 2012 Olympics. FIBA.com. at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 September 2011)
• Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics at SR/Olympics (archived)

1. Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
2. Basketball at the Summer Olympics
3. Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament
4. Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's team rosters
5. List of results of the United States men's basketball team at the Olympics
6. Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
7. 3x3 basketball at the Summer Olympics
8. 2012 Summer Olympics
9. Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's team rosters
10. Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics
11. Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification
12. Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics
13. Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
14. Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics
15. List of Olympic medalists in basketball
16. Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics
17. Russia at the 2012 Summer Olympics
18. 2012 United States women's Olympic basketball team
19. Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics
20. France at the 2012 Summer Olympics