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2028 L.A. Olympic Basketball To Start 2 Days Before Opening Ceremony
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All posts by James FoglioUpdated3 hours ago on August 21, 2025
Basketball at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will tip off two days before the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, organizers reportedly told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Basketball At 2028 Los Angeles Olympics To Begin On July 12
FIBA, the sport’s global governing body, said that it has reviewed a revised basketball schedule for Los Angeles and that games will begin on July 12, 2028, ahead of the July 14 opening ceremony.
However, it is unclear if the men’s tournament, the women’s tournament, or both will start before the official opening. A preliminary schedule shows three basketball games on July 12 and three more on July 13.
“This adjustment allows the quarterfinals to be played over two days and will also ensure that no game will start earlier than [noon], enhancing the overall experience for players, teams, fans and broadcasters,” FIBA said in a news release.
All basketball games are scheduled to be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers. The arena first opened on Aug. 15, 2024.
Bronze-medal games will be played on July 28 and 29, and gold-medal games will take place on July 29 and 30. July 30 is the final day of the Olympic Games.
Other Sports Will Commence Before The Opening Ceremony
According to the Olympic competition schedule by session, several other sports also are scheduled to start before the opening ceremony, including field hockey, rugby sevens, water polo, handball, cricket, and soccer.
The canoe slalom competition in Oklahoma City is expected to start in the morning of July 14, hours before the opening ceremony later that day about 1,200 miles (1,931 km) away.
The U.S. is the defending men’s and women’s Olympic basketball champion. The women have won eight consecutive golds, while the men have won five straight.
Los Angeles last hosted the Olympic Games in 1984, when basketball saw Team USA win gold led by college stars who went on to become NBA legends.
The star-studded team featured four of the five 1984 consensus first team All-Americans — Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Wayman Tisdale, and Sam Perkins.
