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.
TOOTHLESS: Bologna never looked like finding a way back, and Antonio Conte and his substitutes were waiting to celebrate long before the final whistle SSC Napoli on Monday lifted the Italian Supercoppa with a 2-0 win over Bologna in Riyadh, David Neres netting both goals to earn the league champions a deserved victory over the toothless Coppa Italia winners. Neres opened the scoring with a stunning strike from distance six minutes before halftime and found the net again in the 57th minute when Bologna were caught trying to play out of defense. “We came here as champions of Italy, we wanted this trophy and we showed it with a great performance,” Napoli forward Matteo Politano told Mediaset. “We could have scored a few more goals, but
Backup quarterback Luke Weaver on Wednesday night threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, as the University of Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 comeback victory over the University of California, Berkeley in a thrilling Hawaii Bowl. Weaver entered the game after Micah Alejado took a hard hit on the previous play. With the Rainbow Warriors (9-4) in range for a tying field goal, coach Timmy Chang took a shot at the end zone, and Cenacle got between two defensive backs and made the contested catch. “How amazing is that?” Chang said. “It’s a program that is built
Hosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Midfielder Brahim Diaz tucked away a penalty in stoppage-time at the end of the first half, but Mali equalized from the spot midway through the second half through Lassine Sinayoko. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Morocco were atop the Group A standings with four points, while Zambia,
An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic first day of the fourth Ashes Test yesterday, with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge. England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue
RSS