FIBA 3x3 chief Sanchez bullish on format's Chinese development

This spring, China's 3x3 basketball circuit rarely pauses. Music pulses around half-courts, games unfold in 10-minute bursts, and elite players move quickly from one host city to the next.

Fresh off the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore, the tour rolls straight into China turning the country into one of the sport's most densely packed competitive circuits, with tournaments taking place from Zhuhai in Guangdong province and Chengdu in Sichuan, to Shaanxi's Xi'an and the East China metropolis of Shanghai — sometimes simultaneously.

As the FIBA 3x3 tournament ecosystem matures, China is no longer just a host — it is one of the sport's main engines, where international events and domestic development increasingly reinforce each other. Hong Kong and Macao will host Masters events, while cities such as Jinan in Shandong province and Huzhou in Zhejiang are being deeply integrated into the sport's international footprint.

The sport, which has moved from the streets to the Olympic stage, is now entering a phase of sustained global growth.

For Alex Sanchez Mollinger, the managing director of FIBA 3x3, the packed calendar reflects a long-term partnership strategy.

"We are not really looking for hosts; we are looking for partners," Sanchez explained.

He noted that the strategy of securing long-term commitments mirrors a model developed over the past decade.

"It is exactly what China has done: having these big events to attract the interest of top athletes, sponsors, media and partners. These are attractive events, and they help us to grow the sport in the country in a sustainable way."

Likening the sport's scalable infrastructure to tennis, Sanchez explained that FIBA 3x3 operates on a dual track of national and professional circuits to create a transparent, pyramidal pathway for aspiring athletes. "It is an open model: anyone from the street can fight their way up to the very top," Sanchez emphasized.

While 3x3 thrives in major metropolises like Shanghai, the cost-effective and adaptable nature of the sport means it can also establish strong roots in emerging hubs like Deqing in Huzhou.

"The beauty of 3x3 is that it is a product for all kinds of cities," Sanchez noted. "The fact that we don't play in a typical gym, but frequently outdoors, or in high streets and malls, makes it very accessible. It fits perfectly with the Chinese culture of having things closer to home."

Despite its street origins, 3x3 operates at a premium level. Moving from outdoor courts to the Olympic stage requires elite competition wrapped in a festival-like urban atmosphere.

To achieve this delicate balance, Sanchez revealed the discipline's underlying brand formula: "We aim for two-thirds competition and one-third entertainment and culture."

This engaging environment is precisely what FIBA hopes will continue to attract China's Gen Z. Unlike traditional basketball formats, 3x3 features a continuous flow of music, a 12-second shot clock and highly condensed 10-minute games.

"The current generation doesn't always have patience; things need to happen immediately,"Sanchez observed. "Our games are short and full of highlights, which make it difficult to get bored. It is a perfect fit for them."

To meet growing demand among China's tech-savvy youth, FIBA recently secured a landmark digital broadcasting partnership with iQIYI to deliver dedicated 3x3 content and deepen fan engagement.

Beyond the metrics of online viewership and event logistics, 3x3 acts as a unique platform for cross-cultural exchange.

FIBA encourages local organizers to incorporate their city's distinctive characteristics into the event broadcasts, projecting local Chinese culture onto a global stage.

This expanding international footprint is supported by a rapidly maturing domestic foundation. The grassroots enthusiasm for the half-court game has long been deeply ingrained in local communities.

"I remember visiting China and seeing people split a full court into four teams just so they could play half-court 3x3," Sanchez recalled."I am not worried at all about finding talent in China."

Indeed, while China began treating 3x3 as a separate discipline from traditional 5x5 basketball in the early 2010s, development truly accelerated once the International Olympic Committee officially embraced the half-court iteration of the sport.

Capitalizing on this momentum, the Chinese Basketball Association restructured its approach, building a system separate from the traditional format of the game.

This strategic pivot led to the launch of a dedicated national 3x3 league. The league's expanded 2025 season placed a renewed focus on elite talent cultivation, while strengthening club competition and youth development as a pipeline to the national teams.

As the comprehensive 2026 international calendar unfolds across the country, the synergy between these domestic programs and global tournaments becomes clear.

The presence of world-class FIBA events in China provides homegrown athletes with unprecedented, regular access to elite international competition.

Highlighting the sheer density of this modern scheduling, Sanchez noted: "If you are willing to travel on the bullet trains, you can catch the top athletes in the world competing in China nearly every weekend."

Reflecting on the impact of hosting top-tier events, he expressed confidence that the packed calendar will translate into long-term gains for China's basketball ecosystem, particularly in the cultivation of elite talent.

With the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, the trajectory appears set.

Built on this foundation, China remains the only program to have qualified both its men's and women's teams for the 3x3 tournaments at Tokyo and Paris, with all eyes on three out of three at LA28.