The meaning of the dream of Worthy de Jong, who left the French without gold in the highest sense of the sport.
The Paris 2024 Games continue to attract all fans (and those who are not) of international sports. Different disciplines announce their winners, who will take home some of the much-awaited medals. And in the world of basketball, not even the most dreamy on the planet could have imagined a scenario like what happened in men’s 3×3 basketball. This basketball variable has been included in the Olympic calendar in Rio 2016 and always leaves us with some gems to enjoy. In this case, Worthy de Jong, author of a distance shot that meant gold for the Netherlands.
As if to put it in context. 3×3 is a relatively “new” sport that emerged from the variable we all know where five against five face off. Closely related to urban sports, this new trend of the sport is played on a half-court, with a single hoop. Throws from 6.75m are worth two points, while others are added one point at a time. There are two ways for a match to “end”. One is that the 10-minute regulation of play is met, or one of the two teams reaches 21 points.
But this time, when the clock hit zero, we didn’t know a winner; because the story ends equally. In added time, Timothe Vergiat put France ahead by a point, and the home crowd began to celebrate new gold for their country. But Worthy de Jong saved the best for last. With one second on the main clock, a step back generated the minimum distance and he took the shot, which hugged the nets and meant the delirium of the entire Netherlands team.
From 5×5 to 3×3
Worthy de Jong played “traditional” basketball for many years and then decided to change his course in this sport. “I started to feel like that kid who fell in love with basketball again. It just goes to show that if you work hard and enjoy what you do, a lot of things are possible.” His choice was due to the loss of his enjoyment of the activity. “Before 3×3 basketball, we were never in a position to make it to the Olympics or even a world championship. So to be here and get a gold medal, I hope it shows how beautiful the sport is and inspire a lot of players and kids .” to begin this journey.”
Source: Tycsports
My name is Adam Jackson and I am an author. I have been writing about Basketball games for over a decade now and am excited to share my knowledge with you all. Additionally, I am also interested in other sports and enjoy discussing them with others. Contact me if you want to discuss any Basketball-related topics!
