Olympic Hardwood
A comprehensive analysis of the Men's Basketball tournament at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, detailing teams, standings, key games, and results.
View Teams โน๏ธ See Game Results ๐Qualified Teams
Host Nation
China secured its spot automatically as the host nation, marking its 7th consecutive Olympic appearance.
Reigning Champions
The United States, seeking redemption after a bronze medal in 2004, qualified as Americas champion.
World Champions
Spain, the 2006 FIBA World Championship winners, earned their place through that victory.
Defending Gold
Argentina, the reigning Olympic gold medalists from Athens 2004, qualified as Americas runner-up.
European Powerhouses
Greece (European champions) and Lithuania (European third place) secured their berths via EuroBasket 2007.
Asian Champions
Iran qualified as the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 winner.
Oceania Champions
Australia claimed the Oceania Championship title to qualify.
Wildcard Entries
Germany, Croatia, and Angola secured the final three wildcard spots through the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Tournament Dates
The men's basketball tournament took place from August 10 to August 24, 2008.
Venue
All games were held at the state-of-the-art Wukesong Arena in Beijing.
Final Outcome
The United States ("Redeem Team") captured the gold medal, defeating Spain in the final. Argentina secured the bronze.
Tournament Format
Structure
Twelve national teams competed, divided into two preliminary groups (Group A and Group B) of six teams each. The top four teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage (quarterfinals).
Knockout Stage
The quarterfinals featured cross-group matchups (e.g., A1 vs. B4). Winners proceeded to the semifinals, with the victors playing for gold and the losers competing for bronze.
Tie-Breaking Rules
In case of tied records within a group, the following criteria were applied sequentially:
- Head-to-head results between tied teams.
- Goal average (total points scored divided by total points conceded) between tied teams.
- Goal average for all games played within the group.
Preliminary Standings
Group A
Final Standings - Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
5 | 4 | 1 | 425 | 400 | +25 | 9 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | |
5 | 4 | 1 | 425 | 361 | +64 | 9 | |
| 3 | |
5 | 3 | 2 | 399 | 380 | +19 | 8 | |
| 4 | |
5 | 3 | 2 | 457 | 405 | +52 | 8 | |
| 5 | |
5 | 1 | 4 | 387 | 406 | โ19 | 6 | |
| 6 | |
5 | 0 | 5 | 323 | 464 | โ141 | 5 |
Group B
Final Standings - Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
5 | 5 | 0 | 515 | 354 | +161 | 10 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | |
5 | 4 | 1 | 418 | 369 | +49 | 9 | |
| 3 | |
5 | 3 | 2 | 415 | 375 | +40 | 8 | |
| 4 | |
5 | 2 | 3 | 366 | 400 | โ34 | 7 | |
| 5 | |
5 | 1 | 4 | 330 | 390 | โ60 | 6 | |
| 6 | |
5 | 0 | 5 | 321 | 477 | โ156 | 5 |
Key Preliminary Games
vs
Spain
Date: 16 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
USA: P. Gasol 31, Fernández, Rubio 3 assists
ESP: James 18 pts, Bosh 7 rebs, Paul 8 assists
Quarter Scores: 31โ22, 30โ23, 25โ18, 33โ19
vs
Russia
Date: 18 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
ARG: Scola 37 pts, Nocioni 9 rebs, Prigioni 10 assists
RUS: Kirilenko 23 pts, Kirilenko 9 rebs, Holden 5 assists
Quarter Scores: 27โ16, 18โ23, 27โ25, 19โ15
vs
Russia
Date: 14 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
LTU: Kaukฤnas 20 pts, Kleiza 11 rebs, Jasikeviฤius 5 assists
RUS: Holden 25 pts, Khriapa 9 rebs, Kirilenko 6 assists
Quarter Scores: 23โ24, 21โ17, 25โ21, 17โ17
vs
Spain
Date: 12 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
CHN: Liu 19 pts, Yao, Yi 9 rebs, Liu, Sun 3 assists
ESP: P. Gasol 29 pts, P. Gasol, Fernández 8 rebs, Fernández 6 assists
Quarter Scores: 20โ19, 28โ17, 15โ10, 11โ25, OT: 3โ13
vs
China
Date: 10 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
USA: Wade 19 pts, Bosh 8 rebs, Paul 6 assists
CHN: Yao 13 pts, Yao, Yi 10 rebs, Chen, Liu, Zhu, Sun 2 assists
Quarter Scores: 20โ16, 29โ21, 25โ11, 27โ22
vs
Spain (Final)
Date: 24 August 2008
Venue: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing
Attendance: 11,083
Scoring Summary:
USA: Bryant 20 pts, Howard 10 rebs, Paul 9 assists
ESP: P. Gasol 21 pts, Reyes 7 rebs, Calderón, Navarro 4 assists
Quarter Scores: 31โ25, 29โ31, 30โ25, 28โ26
Key Player Rosters
United States ("Redeem Team")
Notable Players: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard.
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Spain
Notable Players: Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernández, Marc Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Ricky Rubio.
Coach: Aito García Reneses
Argentina
Notable Players: Manu Ginóbili, Luis Scola, Andrés Nocioni, Fabricio Oberto.
Coach: Sergio Hernández
Lithuania
Notable Players: Linas Kleiza, Ramลซnas ล iลกkauskas, ล arลซnas Jasikeviฤius, Kลกyลกtof Lavrinoviฤ.
Coach: Ramลซnas Butautas
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports analysis or commentary. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official Olympic records or seeking expert analysis from qualified sports journalists or historians. Always refer to official sources for the most current and accurate information.
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