Additional spots for the men's tournament were decided via the continental championships held by FIBA, while additional spots for the women's competition were assigned to the top six teams in a tournament held in Havana, Cuba.

Both hosts United States and reigning Olympic Champions Yugoslavia advanced undefeated to the knockout phase.

China, Egypt, Brazil, and France placed fifth and sixth in their respective groups and competed in the classification round.

With the withdrawal of the Soviet Union's women's team, a new Olympic champion was to be crowned in Los Angeles.

Yugoslavia's team couldn't repeat their bronze medal performance from the previous tournament and finished at the bottom of the rankings.