BYU’s Jimmer Fredette explains early injury during 3×3 in Paris Olympics for USA Basketball

Paris 2024 Olympics where Utahn Jimmer Fredette's Team USA men's basketball 3x3 was eliminated. Photo: Flickr // Conall

PARIS — Jimmer Fredette, 35, from New York, who played six seasons in the NBA and had stellar NCAA shooting stats, bowed out of the Paris 2024 Olympics Basketball 3×3 due to injury. 

Fredette famously played traditional Basketball for BYU from 2007-2011.

He was the Americans’ biggest name in the 3×3, the sport discipline’s second time in the Olympics. It was Fredette’s first time playing in the Games.

He played in the first pool game; however, at the beginning of the USA’s second pool game against Poland, he injured himself. For days and days, the world was told that he had a lower limb injury. Although he was well enough to be present on the sidelines of each subsequent game, he never took to the field of play.

It wasn’t until Monday, after they’d been eliminated from the tournament, that Fredette made a statement on social media that read, 

“I tore two different ligaments completely in my adductor, which prevented me from being able to compete. This will lead me to have a recovery of around 6 months.”

He has played in European leagues in 3×3 in the 2019-2020 seasons. 

In men’s, Latvia defeated Lithuania for bronze, and the Netherlands got gold, leaving silver for France in overtime.

Fans packed the stands at all the Paris games, even one dark night when a brief deluge of rain soaked the 3×3 venue. Spectators did not leave; they stayed and watched, wet, as the venue volunteers peeled the protective plastic off the court and play resumed.

Three athletes on the women’s squads playing 3×3 Basketball in Paris are from the University of Utah and are representing Team Canada. 

For the women, Germany edged out Canada 16-15 in the semi-final, and then Team USA, against some of the Utes women’s close friends, beat Canada 16-13, giving the United States the 2024 Olympic bronze medal.