'Basketball on steroids': step into exhilarating 3x3 spectacle of Commonwealth Games' breakout sport

Once considered nothing more than a backyard past-time, this fast-paced, high intensity sport in unique in its own right and has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon.

Originating as street basketball in urban and semi-urban areas of America in the late 1980s, the game is a condensed version of traditional full-court basketball. Comprising a quick 12-second shot clock, a shortened 10-minute game format and only one hoop, teams consist of three active players and one substitute. The first to score 21 points  wins, or if time runs out, the nation in the lead is declared the winner.

A decade on from making its competitive debut on the global stage at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, 3x3 basketball made its senior bow for both men and women at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games. Its popularity has soared ever since.

Now firmly in the spotlight, the sport’s meteoric rise led to its formal structuring as a professional sport, with official rules sanctioned by the international basketball federation (FIBA), shaping it into the game we know today.

“It’s really interesting to see how the sport has captured the imagination of the public,” said famous TV presenter and former champion wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan. “I think it’s because it’s so dynamic and so physical as well. It’s an opportunity for the public to really see the players up close and personal, see the emotions. It’s only played on a half-court, shots are being taken constantly. Basketball is a fast-paced game anyway, but three on three is like basketball on steroids!”

Scotland have representation in both the men’s and women's events, as well as in the wheelchair competition over the coming days. And on the evidence of the men’s opening group stage clash with Guyana, the host nation has a serious shot of winning a gold medal.

“I think we can go all the way” said a pumped up Skyler White, the tallest member of the men’s squad at 6'7’ who plays for Cheshire Phoenix. “It was a bit nerve-wracking at the start but the atmosphere was damn cool. I love competing with my team mates and I just want greatness for Scotland. We want to make a name for ourselves and etch our names into the history book. Winning a medal would be great, but you want the gold, so that would be awesome.”

This was riveting, loud, and non-stop. Spectators couldn’t afford to take their eye of the action for a split second otherwise you would inevitably miss a moment of magic. Athletes were greeted on to the court to the backing of heavy music from the PA system, the sound of steel rattles and warm applause from the surrounding grandstands. Every successful basket was met with lour cheers, every missed shot greeted with a unanimous gasp.

An array of Australian flags and Scottish saltires could be seen dotted all around. Scotland’s men - comprising of White, Fraser Malcolm, Kyle Jimenez and Owen McCormack - were involved in the penultimate contest of the first session - and what a spectacle it was.

It took the Scots a few minutes to settle into the contest and find their stride. Trailing early on, they were made to work extremely hard by their South American opponents to record a gritty 21-14 win, which featured a number of spectacular two-pointers from behind the arc including Fraser Malcolm’s clinching shot to seal the victory with 1m11 seconds remaining.

The final buzzer was accompanied by chants of “Let’s go Scotland, let’s go”.

For Edinburgh-born Jimenez, there is added incentive to emerge from the Games’ with a spot on the podium, having twice had to deal with the disappointment of finishing one place outside the medals at the 2018 and 2022 editions.

Scotland finished fourth on both occasions, an outcome made even harder to stomach after being pipped to bronze by only a single point four years ago. That feeling of devastation is something the 28-year-old is determined to avoid a repeat of this year, where he is making his third appearance for Team Scotland.

“It was heart-breaking,” he recalled. “It would be incredible to win a medal this year because we’ve just missed out in the last two after losing both bronze medal games. The fans here in Glasgow are amazing, they can give us that added boost and energy on the court. You want to start on a high as it gives you more confidence and puts pressure on other teams. We know as a group what we can do at this tournament; we believe we can win it.”

Team Scotland would go on to record a 22-13 victory over Cayman Islands in the afternoon’s second session before suffering a 21-14 defeat to Australia. They will return on Sunday to face Nigeria and round off their group stage campaign against New Zealand later in the day.