PARIS — Former college hoops star and NBA veteran Jimmer Fredette tore ligaments playing for Team USA’s 3×3 Olympics team and will be sidelined for about six months, he revealed late Sunday on social media.
The Americans didn’t get out of group play and suffered a tournament-ending 21-6 loss to the Netherlands, landing them in seventh place among eight squads.
Fredette said he tore two ligaments in his adductor in his second game in Paris, a loss to Poland. He was on the bench in uniform but didn’t play the rest of the way.
“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 on Instagram.
The Americans dropped their first four contests before they beat France and China to give themselves a chance to make the knockout rounds by finishing at least sixth.
Fredette’s injury is among the most serious of the games so far. Spanish badminton standout Carolina Marin suffered a knee injury that forced her out of a semifinal match and prevented her from playing for a bronze.
“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.”
Even though the U.S. failed to qualify for the Tokyo Games, it was considered a serious medal contender in Paris. The U.S. 3×3 team finished second in last year’s 3×3 World Cup, dropping a 21-19 decision to Serbia in the title game. And Fredette was just ranked the top 3×3 player in the world by the International Basketball Federation), the governing body of basketball.
Fredette is best known for his scoring prowess at Brigham Young University — where he averaged nearly 30 points per game as a senior — before he bounced around the NBA, developmental leagues and China. In recent years, he’d devoted his time to the growing sport of 3×3 hoops, in which perimeter scoring, quick shooting and short bursts of energy are essential.
“I’m sorry to all the fans who supported me and our team as I wish it could have gone differently,” he said. “But thank you for your support and love. Always keep the faith and smile through the bad.”
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