Why Basketball’s Early Tip-Off at the 2028 LA Olympics Could Change Everything

Basketball is going to get a head start at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The USA is the defending gold medalists for both the men (who have won five Olympic golds in a row) and women (the eight-time Olympic defending champions). FIBA — the international basketball governing body that oversees Olympic basketball — announced this week that the revised schedule for the event has the first games on July 12, two days before the July 14 Opening Ceremonies. You know, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics just got a bit more intriguing for basketball fans everywhere. FIBA, the big boss for Olympic hoops, dropped some news that the games will tip off earlier than the usual curtain-raiser—starting on July 12, a couple days before the official Opening Ceremonies on July 14. Why, you ask? Well, this tweak isn’t just scheduling fluff; it spreads the Quarter-Finals over two days and promises no tip-offs before noon—pretty slick move to keep players fresh and fans glued to their screens. Details on whether this shift affects men’s or women’s brackets remain under wraps, but with 12 squads on each side, all vying for gold at the Intuit Dome—home turf for the Clippers—the stage is set for some serious competition. And with Team USA defending not one, but two gold crowns (men’s boasting five straight, women’s an eight-time streak), the excitement’s practically palpable. Trust me, this early jumpstart could change the basketball game at the Games. LEARN MOREWhat was not announced is whether this change impacts the men’s or women’s tournaments, or both. Those tournaments are made up of a dozen men’s and women’s teams — who qualify for the Olympics via results at the World Cup as well as qualifying tournaments — and those tournaments will run through the gold medal games on July 29 and 30 (July 30 is the final day of the Los Angeles Olympics). All the basketball games are scheduled to be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers. “This adjustment allows the Quarter-Finals to be played over two days and will also ensure that no game will start earlier than 12:00 PM, enhancing the overall experience for players, teams, fans and broadcasters,” FIBA said in a statement announcing the change.