Can the U.S. men's basketball team defend its gold medal in Tokyo? That's the big question ahead of the 2021 Olympics.
Team USA is loaded with NBA stars such as Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard playing prominent roles under coach Gregg Popovich. That talent can only take this group so far, though, as Team USA learned when it lost exhibition games earlier this month against Nigeria and Australia.
The Americans start off Olympic play on Sunday, July 25, with a tough matchup against a France squad that features Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. That likely won't be the only test Team USA faces in its quest for gold.
Here is everything you need to know to watch Team USA Olympic games, including the tipoff times and TV channels for each contest.
MORE: Watch the 2021 Olympics with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
USA basketball schedule 2021
The opening ceremony at the 2021 Olympics is July 23. The men's basketball tournament tips off on July 24 and ends with the medal games on Aug. 6-7.
Team USA is one of 12 teams to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. It will be playing in Group A. Its group-play opponents will be France, Iran and the Czech Republic.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| July 25 | USA vs. France | 8 a.m. | Peacock |
| July 28 | USA vs. Iran | 12:40 a.m. | Peacock |
| July 31 | USA vs. Czech Republic | 8 a.m. | Peacock |
| Aug. 3 | Men's basketball quarterfinals | TBD | TBD |
| Aug. 5 | Men's basketball semifinals | TBD | TBD |
| Aug. 6 | Men's basketball gold-medal game | 10:30 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV |
| Aug. 7 | Men's basketball bronze-medal game | 7 a.m. | TBD |
How to watch Olympic basketball games
- TV channels: N/A (no live games on cable)
- Live streams: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
The first three U.S. men's basketball games won't be broadcast live on cable television in the United States. Instead, they will air exclusively on Peacock, NBC's streaming service, followed by tape-delayed encore showings on NBCSN later in the day.
Peacock is free to watch with ads, or you can pay a monthly charge of $4.99 for Peacock Premium (no ads). The paid subscription is required to watch USA basketball games.
NBC is scheduled to carry the gold-medal game live.
USA Olympic men's basketball roster
| Name | Team |
| Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat |
| Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
| Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets |
| Jerami Grant | Detroit Pistons |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors |
| Jrue Holiday | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Keldon Johnson* | San Antonio Spurs |
| Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls |
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers |
| JaVale McGee* | Denver Nuggets |
| Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
* Replacing Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) and Kevin Love (injury recovery)
USA Olympic men's basketball coaching staff
| Name | Team |
| Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs |
| Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors |
| Lloyd Pierce | Indiana Pacers |
| Jay Wright | Villanova University |
Olympic basketball schedule 2021
(All times Eastern)
July 24
| Game | Time |
| Iran vs. Czech Republic | 9 p.m. |
July 25
| Game | Time |
| Germany vs. Italy | 12:40 a.m. |
| Australia vs. Nigeria | 4:20 a.m. |
| France vs. United States | 8 a.m. |
July 26
| Game | Time |
| Argentina vs. Slovenia | 12:40 a.m. |
| Japan vs. Spain | 8 a.m. |
July 27
| Game | Time |
| Nigeria vs. Germany | 9 p.m. |
July 28
| Game | Time |
| United States vs. Iran | 12:40 a.m. |
| Italy vs. Australia | 4:20 a.m. |
| Czech Republic vs. France | 8 a.m. |
July 29
| Game | Time |
| Slovenia vs. Japan | 12:40 a.m. |
| Spain vs. Argentina | 8 a.m. |
July 30
| Game | Time |
| Iran vs. France | 9 p.m. |
July 31
| Game | Time |
| Italy vs. Nigeria | 12:40 a.m. |
| Australia vs. Germany | 4:20 a.m. |
| United States vs. Czech Republic | 8 a.m. |
Aug. 1
| Game | Time |
| Argentina vs. Japan | 12:40 a.m. |
| Spain vs. Slovenia | 4:20 a.m. |