Jeff Zillgitt

USA TODAY Sports

RIO DE JANEIRO — The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is making another push to include 3-on-3 basketball in the Olympics, FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann told USA TODAY Sports.

Baumann said the International Olympic Committee will decide in June if 3-on-3 will be played at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I want a favorable response. Expecting (a favorable response) is too much,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s in the hands of the (IOC) executive committee. I know their thinking, what they like to do, the changes they want to make so of course 3-on-3 fits very well in that.”

The International Olympic Committee in 2013 denied FIBA’s application for 3-on-3 basketball at the Rio Olympics. At the time, the IOC said “any request from International Federations (Ifs) that would result in a higher number of athletes or increased number of medals, thereby adding to the cost and complexity of the Games, would not be considered.”

Zillgitt: U.S. men's basketball needed a game like this

Sports such as BMX, mountain biking and beach volleyball are part of the Olympic program, and FIBA believes the fast pace and youthful appeal of 3-on-3 make it a perfect fit for modern Olympic games. In the past three years, FIBA has made a significant effort to increase 3-on-3's worldwide presence, including world tours and world championships.

Baumann, who is an IOC member, admitted there are logistical issues.

“The goal is still stay within the reasonable number of 310 events and 10,500 athletes — more or less,” Baumann said. “If you put 96-100 athletes in 3-on-3, are we going to take away 100 athletes from 5-on-5 or are we going to find the number somewhere else?

USA Basketball: Decorated Breanna Stewart eager to add gold medal to resume

“We’ve said we’re happy to make a compromise in the sense that we’re happy to talk about our number in 5-on-5 if that helps bring 3-on-3 as long as we keep a solid and strong 5-on-5 competition.”

As for the 5-on-5 events, FIBA’s ideal Olympic competition includes 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams — four groups of four, which would decrease the number the maximum number of games played by two and shorten the length of the competition by four days.

The IOC also denied FIBA’s request in 2013 to increase the number of teams in the men’s and women’s field, and FIBA is not inclined to make another request, especially as it pushes for 3-on-3s inclusion in the Olympic program. There are 12 teams each in the men’s and women’s field now — two groups of six, and it takes two weeks to complete the tournaments.

BEST IMAGES FROM AUG. 11 AT THE OLYMPICS