Two torn ligaments in his adductor sidelined United States 3 x3 basketball standout Jimmer Fredette during the Paris Olympics, he said.
The U.S. men entered the competition as favorites to compete for the gold medal but didn’t get out of group play, finishing seventh among eight teams.
After the Americans lost their opening game to Serbia, Fredette sustained the injury in the second game — a loss to Poland — that helped to dash his team’s chance to advance to the knockout round. With only four players on a roster, the trio of Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis was left to shoulder the entire load.
“This is devastating for me as I have put two years into qualifying for the Olympics with this group who are my brothers,” Fredette said in a statement posted to social media on Sunday.
The 35-year-old Fredette starred in college at BYU — named national player of the year as a senior — and was a first-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He bounced around the league, playing for five teams in five-plus seasons and later starred in the Chinese Basketball Association.
The native New Yorker came out of retirement to play 3×3 and last week was named the top 3×3 player in the world by the International Basketball Federation.
“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” Fredette said. “And something this has taught me is to enjoy the journey. You never know what can happen once you reach your destination, but if you don’t enjoy getting there — you are missing the point.”
He said playing in Paris was a highlight but did not state whether he would continue to compete in 3×3 after recovering from the injury.
“I am so grateful to have been an Olympian and to represent Team USA in 3×3 basketball,” he said. “To wear USA across my chest was an honor.”
–Field Level Media
