If you watched college basketball in any capacity during the early 2010s, you are probably familiar with former BYU star Jimmer Fredette — the headliner of the U.S. 3×3 men’s basketball team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fredette will be a first-time Olympian this summer when he takes the floor for Team USA’s opening game against Serbia on Tuesday in Paris just over 13 years after earning Naismith and CBS Sports player of the year honors for the 2010-11 season.
That season Fredette helped BYU reach the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive time. Fredette was drafted No. 10 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2011 NBA Draft and had an up-and-down career in the association before finding a role playing overseas.
Fredette and Team USA will compete in 3×3 basketball at the 2024 Olympics for the first time after failing to qualify for the event at the 2020 games in Tokyo. The 2024 games will mark the second Olympics 3×3 basketball is recognized as an official Olympic event. Fredette is joined on the Team USA 3×3 roster by Kareem Maddox, Dylan Travis and Canyon Barry, the son of former NBA star Rick Barry.
“Obviously the NBA career was very up-and-down, but that doesn’t just happen to just me,” Fredette told the Denver Post ahead of the games. “It’s about trying to find the right fit at the right time in the right situation, and that didn’t quite happen the way it could have for me. But as one door closes, another door opens, and I always tried to take full advantage of that by working hard and being prepared and believing in myself.”
The Americans finished second at the 2024 World Cup behind Serbia, which sits fourth on the world leaderboard after capturing the bronze medal in Tokyo. Latvia, the reigning Olympic Champion, is considered one of the strongest contenders to win the gold medal again after finishing third at the 2023 World Cup.
Fredette was named the 2023 USA Basketball 3×3 Male Athlete of the Year after helping Team USA qualify for the first time.
Team USA will be one of eight teams competing in a round-robin style format for the right to place. The teams that finish first and second in the group qualify automatically for the semi-finals, while teams placed Nos. 3-6 play each other in the quarterfinals for a spot as one of the final four teams standing.
This event has a different set of rules than the traditional five-on-five format basketball fans are accustomed to.This style of basketball is played in a half-court setting with a 12-second shot clock. Field goals are worth one point or two points from beyond the arc, and there isn’t an inbounds pass after a made basket.
The game starts with a coin toss, and the winner gets to choose whether to begin the game on offense or defense. Possession switches between teams after every made basket — no matter if the shot is made or missed. Once a player takes control of the ball inside the arc, they have to dribble it out or pass it to another player outside of the arc before they can attempt a shot.
The team that reaches 21 points first or scores the most points after a single 10-minute quarter wins. If the game is tied after the quarter ends, the team that scores two points in overtime first wins.
“The way this sport works, you either really like it or you don’t like it at all,” Fredette told the Daily Herald. “That people love it or hate it, I see the reasons why. It’s difficult, there’s a lot of travel involved all across the world. Sometimes you travel 36 hours for a tournament and if you lose two games you’re done in like 20 minutes. … There’s just so much emotion in 3×3 basketball and it’s different than five-on-five.”
Team USA faces Serbia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, France, China and Netherlands in pool play, which begins Tuesday. The medal round is set for Aug. 5.
