The 2024 Paris Olympics will include many firsts for Jimmer Fredette. This will be Fredette’s Olympic debut and the first time the United States has participated in men's 3x3 basketball since it debuted three years ago at the Tokyo Games.
From 2007 to 2011, Fredette was a star college basketball guard averaging over 18 points per game. The Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
About to hang up his jersey and start a new chapter in his life, Fredette received a call to join the U.S. 3x3 basketball national team. An opportunity to play for the United States and possibly compete in the Olympic Games was something Fredette could not pass up, and now he'll have the opportunity to play for his country in Paris.
When and where was Jimmer Fredette born?
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Fredette was born in Glens Falls, New York, on Feb. 25, 1989.
Does Jimmer Fredette have any siblings?
Fredette has an older brother and older sister who are seven and nine years older than him.
Did Jimmer Fredette play college basketball?
Fredette played for BYU from 2007 to 2011 and had a tremendous college career. He was named National Player of the Year after finishing as the NCAA's leading scorer during his senior season.
What was 'JimmerMania'?
In a historic college game in 2011, Fredette dropped 43 points on an undefeated San Diego State squad which featured Kawhi Leonard.
After BYU’s nationally televised home victory over the Aztecs, Fredette had to retreat behind a Marriott Center scorer’s table to shield himself from the Provo, Utah, faithful who wanted to hoist their hero over their shoulders. One fan held up a sign — “Shoot it from here, Jimmer" — about 25 rows above the court, a nod to his elite 3-point range.
Fredette also won the National Player of the Year award that season.
The Deseret News, based in Salt Lake City, even published “The Jimmer Glossary”:
(v. Jimmer: to school, beat-down, thrash, dominate, as in one's opponent.)
(v. Jimmered: The act of being punked, embarrassed, shown up, humbled, shamed, owned, outclassed, humiliated, served, schooled, crushed, disgraced, and utterly disrespected on the basketball court. San Diego State got “Jimmered” when Fredette carried BYU with 43 in the victory.)
For the rest of that season, BYU's games became a must-watch attraction for many sports fans because of Fredette.
How many years did Jimmer Fredette play in the NBA?
Fredette played limited minutes for four teams over five NBA seasons.
He spent the majority of the 2015-2016 season in the NBA Development League, during which he won the All-Star Game MVP. He joined the Chinese Basketball Association and played from 2016 to 2019 before being offered a chance to return to the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.
From 2019 to 2020 Fredette played for Panathinaikos in Greece, then returned to Shanghai for the 2020-2021 season.
When did Jimmer Fredette start playing 3x3 basketball?
In 2022, Fredette began playing 3x3 basketball with the hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. His first competition with Team USA was the 2022 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup, where he helped the U.S. secure gold. A year later, he was a member of Team USA’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup team, this time winning silver.
Jimmer Fredette on how it feels to represent the USA in Olympic 3x3 basketball:
"It feels amazing to be part of the 3x3 team. Also, to play in the Olympics and for the USA. Obviously, new sport, something that people don't really know about, especially here in America, so I'm excited to be able to bring it to life for people, be able to see what this sport is. I think they'll like it, especially if you're a basketball fan, you'll be able to like how quick it is, how fast-paced it is. And (I'm) super excited to be able to play in the first Olympics for (the men's team)."
Jimmer Fredette on how he knew basketball was his future:
"I always wanted to be a basketball player when I was younger. I had an older brother, older sister — they were seven and nine years older than me, so I just kind of wanted to do what they wanted to do. And my brother ended up loving basketball, so I gravitated towards that. When I was young, I knew I wanted to be a basketball player professionally and play in the NBA and that continued to push me throughout my life. I just always had that drive and competitive spirit."
Jimmer Fredette on what his role is on the team:
"I'm kind of the elder statesman. A little bit older, but a guy that has been through a lot of experience. I'm the only one with kids on the team. I have three young ones. So they come to me with advice. They're all not married at this point. They feel like I've been through more of life than they have, even though I'm only a couple of years older than they are."
What do Jimmer Fredette's teammates say about him?
Dylan Travis: “You have Jimmer Fredette, just the ultimate human being, family man, and obviously his ability to shoot the ball. When he gets hot, we don't lose. When he gets hot, he leads us to a lot of victories.”
Canyon Barry: “We have Jimmer Fredette, who is the newest to the sport, and it's another big basketball name. Had an unbelievable colligate career, played in the NBA, played in China, and is just one of the best scorers in the 3-on-3 game currently. Unbelievable shooter and just a nice guy.”
Kareem Maddox: “Jimmer is great. I think Jimmer is well known; he had an awesome March Madness run. On our team, he plays a similar role: He shoots the ball. We try to get it to him so he can do that as much as possible. He's just an otherwise great guy.”
