Renowned basketball media figure Zhu Yanshuo criticized the current Olympic basketball format on social media, stating that the only advantage of the current system is cost-saving.
Zhu Yanshuo wrote on social media: “I still can’t help but criticize the current group division format for Olympic basketball. In 2016, there were still 12 teams divided into two groups, playing five games in the group stage, and then the top four advanced. Now, they’ve split the 12 teams into three groups, with the top two from each group advancing, plus the two best third-place finishers.”
“Every format has its pros and cons, but the only advantage of this format is that it saves money by reducing the number of games. There’s no room for error at all. Even if you don’t make mistakes and play to your full strength, you might still be eliminated due to a single misjudgment or foul play. I really cannot endorse this format. If you play all five group stage games and fail to advance, I could accept that. Not having a fifth to eighth place playoff is also fine, but what does playing just three games prove?”