USA to start bid for Olympic basketball four-peat against France

Olympic men’s basketball champions the United States will play France in their Tokyo Games opener on July 25 — three days after the end of the NBA Finals — organizers said Monday.

The mighty US, aiming to win their fourth straight gold and 16th in total, will face the French at Saitama Stadium, north of the Japanese capital, on the first day of the basketball competition.

They will then play Iran on July 28 and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier at the same venue on July 31. The NBA Finals are scheduled to conclude on July 22.

Greece, China, Canada, Uruguay, the Czech Republic and Turkey will play a qualifying event in Canada in late June to determine the final team in the group.

Australia and Nigeria will also face off on the opening day, before host nation Japan begin their campaign against Spain, bronze medalists at Rio 2016, a day later.

The women’s competition gets under way on July 26 with South Korea taking on Spain in the first match.

The US women, who are looking for their seventh straight gold and ninth overall, open against Nigeria on July 27.

The US women will then take on Japan on July 30 and France on August 2.