Jimmer Fredette, a different kind of basketball globetrotter, continues to draw attention even far from the NBA. At age 34, the three-point shot master on Monday led the US 3x3 team to a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago and started setting his mind to the Paris Olympics.
The few thousand locals watching the US team play host Chile in the men’s final were not too keen on “Jimmermania” at the start, but their hearts eventually softened for Fredette and his teammates, Kareem Maddox and Canyon Barry, who won 21-15.
In his NBA days, Fredette played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns.
Photo: Reuters
The point guard transitioned over a year ago to the half-court event, which had its debut in Tokyo with no US team on the court.
Since embracing 3x3 basketball, he set his sights on the first American gold medal in Paris in the sport that reminds him of his childhood.
“I played with my brother, we were always shooting baskets, I was always dribbling on the side. This is a bit like that, too,” Fredette told reporters in Santiago after his team’s victory. “I learned to play basketball in the streets, in the parks. It is a bit of full circle to win in 3x3.”
After high school, he received offers from 12 schools. He picked Brigham Young University, where he stood out as a scorer, became a college basketball star and a three-point shooter respected by his peers.
Jimmermania appeared after a victory against San Diego State University, in which he scored 43 points. From then on, fans carried signs saying teams he scored against had been “Jimmered.”
The 2011 No. 10 NBA draft pick did not succeed as much in the professional league, but in Santiago he sounded calm about that.
“I am here now,” Fredette said.
He left the NBA in 2016 to play for China’s Shanghai Sharks and stayed for three years. After a brief time with the Suns, he joined Panathinaikos in Greece. He has been out of a contract since he left his old team in China after the 2020-2021 season.
Fredette said he is already dreaming of a rematch against Serbia, who defeated the US at this year’s 3x3 world cup final in Vienna.
“This gold does serve as a booster,” he said.
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