What is 3x3 Basketball?

3-on-3 Basketball. You know it. You’ve played it. Down at the park, or at Hoop It Up, or at 24-hour fitness. Well, 3-on-3 is growing up quickly. In case you haven’t heard, it’s now an Olympic sport, and FIBA 3x3 has created a path to travel the world and play professional ball.

We’re Princeton 3x3, America’s winningest FIBA 3x3 basketball team, and we want to tell you all about 3x3 hoops.

First things first. What is FIBA 3x3 basketball?

3x3 basketball became an official sport in 2012, when basketball international governing body (FIBA) launched the 3x3 player community and tournament network. In 2021, it debuted in the Tokyo Olympics.

Think of FIBA 3x3 basketball like Professional Tennis.

In Tennis, there are a few marquee events every year. They are the Grand Slam tournaments: The Australian Open, The US Open, Wimbledon, The French Open. These are worth the most points that contribute to a players ranking, and have the most prize money available to win.

FIBA 3x3 follows a similar model. Our “Grand Slams” are FIBA 3x3 World Tour events, which culminate in the World Tour final in December.

And the sport has grown. It may be similar to the way that beach volleyball exploded in popularity after its debut at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

Here’s how 3x3 is different from basketball you know.

• Faster pace: 12-second shot clock, play-the-make (no in-bounds after a basket)

• Shorter games: first to 21 points, or whoever is up after 10-minutes; buckets from inside the arc are worth 1, and beyond the arc are worth 2

• Memorable backdrops: games played outdoors, in malls, or in front of iconic landmarks

• Nowhere to hide: one hoop, lots of space, and nowhere to hide on offense or defense; you’ve got to be able to do it all - shoot, pass, rebound, AND defend

So who is Princeton 3x3?

Princeton 3x3 is America’s most decorated FIBA 3x3 basketball team. To date, Princeton has:

• 4 USAB National Championships [via USA Basketball]

• 4 FIBA 3x3 World Cup Gold Medals [via Team USA]

• 1 Pan American Games Gold Medal [via ESPN]

• 2 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup Gold Medals [via Olympics.com]

• 2nd Place in 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final [via FIBA]

• $500,000+ earned on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour

Our origin story begins with the man we call the “Godfather” of American 3x3 Basketball, John W. Rogers Jr. Yes, the man that beat Michael Jordan in 1-on-1 in front of a crowd full of c-suite executives with Damon Wayans narrating.

After graduating from Princeton University — where he played for legendary coach Pete Carril — in 1980, John entered every 3-on-3 basketball tournament he could find with his friends, just because he loved the game. As his company, Ariel Investments, achieved success and John and his friends began to play less, he started bringing in younger players from the Princeton basketball family to field teams for tournaments around the country. Legends like Arne Duncan, Tavaras Hardy, Kit Mueller, and George Leftwich are just a few of the players that have played for Ariel Slow and Steady teams (which would become Princeton 3x3).

By the time FIBA professionalized 3x3, Princeton’s current team had more or less coalesced under John’s mentorship. Kareem Maddox (#1-ranked in America) played at Princeton under Sydney Johnson. Craig Moore played at Northwestern University under Bill Carmody. Damon Huffman played at Brown University under Craig Robinson. Zahir Carrington, Robbie Hummel, and Canyon Barry all joined the team as we branched out and sought to tackle the international FIBA 3x3 World Tour in earnest in 2018.

Dream-hoping

Every season our goal is to chase the #1-world ranking and win the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final. And every 4 years we want to see our players win gold medals at the Olympics, in Paris 2024, then Los Angeles 2028, then Brisbane 2032, and so on and so forth.

We also want to build a facility that becomes a home base for not just Princeton 3x3 teams, but a revenue-generating, built-for-media, first-of-it’s-kind (in the USA) facility where we can host global FIBA 3x3 events and Team USA. We’re on a mission to build our fanbase on grow the sport of 3-on-3 basketball. Join us!