On Sunday, former BYU basketball Jimmer Fredette and the rest of the United States men’s 3x3 basketball team were eliminated from the Olympics after finishing pool play in seventh place out of eight teams with a 2-5 record.
It was a disappointment for a group that entered the Games with high hopes of medaling and with a shot at gold.
Later in the day, Fredette made an Instagram post in which he shared the extent of the injury that kept him out of the entire competition except for the USA’s first game and the first few minutes of the second and shared bittersweet feelings about his Olympic experience.
“First off, I am so grateful to have been an Olympian and to represent Team USA in 3x3 basketball. Thank you to all my coaches, and the USAB staff that put trust in me to help with get to this stage. To wear USA across my chest was an honor,” Fredette began.
Then he shared that he completely tore two ligaments in his adductor (inner thigh) and that recovery will be approximately six months.
“This is devastating for me as I have put two years into qualifying for the Olympics with this group who are my brothers,” Fredette wrote.
He went on to share how he and his team went from a “no name” group to the best in the world, and they were ready to go for gold.
“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. And something this has taught me is to enjoy the journey,” he wrote. “You never know what can happen once you reach your destination but if you don’t enjoy getting there — you are missing the point.
“I’m sorry to all the fans who supported me and our team as I wish it could have gone differently. But thank you for your support and love. Always keep the faith and smile through the bad.”
Fredette, 35, famously took the college basketball world by storm in the 2010-11 season before being taken 10th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Fredette’s NBA career didn’t pan out, though he found success abroad mostly during his time with the Shanghai Sharks in China, and his presence on the United States 3x3 team was seen by many as a revival of his fame in his home country.
Given his age and now the injury that will require a lengthy recovery process, it is unclear what the future of Fredette’s basketball career will hold.