Paris, meet “Jimmermania.”
The 3x3 men’s basketball schedule for this summer’s Olympic games has been released, giving former BYU sensation Jimmer Fredette an idea of what path he and Team USA will need to take in order to capture the glorious gold medal.
Fredette, the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year in 2011, has emerged as one of the top performers in the 3x3 sphere, earning USA Basketball’s 3x3 Male Athlete of the Year honors for 2023.
“He’s the best 3x3 player ever to play the game, in my opinion,” USA 3x3 Men’s National Team coach Joe Lewandowski said in December. “He is that good.”
Fredette’s USA squad captured gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, enabling the U.S. to automatically qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The other selected members of Team USA are Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis, all of whom have played with Fredette since the group’s gold medal performance at the 2022 FIBA 3x3 Men’s AmeriCup.
When will Jimmer Fredette play in the Paris Olympics?
All times are listed in Mountain Daylight Time.
Pool play:
- July 30 vs. Serbia (2:35 p.m.).
- July 31 vs. Poland (2:35 p.m.).
- Aug. 1 vs. Lithuania (11:05 a.m.) and vs. Latvia (3:05 p.m.).
- Aug. 2 vs. France (10:35 a.m.) and vs. China (2:35 p.m.).
- Aug. 4 vs. Netherlands (11:05 a.m.).
Medal round (if applicable):
- Aug. 4 vs. TBD in Play-In Games (1:30 or 2:05 p.m.).
- Aug. 5 vs. TBD in Semifinal Game (10 or 11 a.m.).
- Aug. 5 vs. TBD in Bronze Medal Game (1:30 p.m.).
- Aug. 5 vs. TBD in Gold Medal Game (2:35 p.m.).
Should Team USA finish among the top three groups in Paris, Fredette would be just the eighth BYU-affiliated athlete to win an Olympic medal, according to the school’s records.
The format for 3x3 basketball is unique. Matches are played on half of a typical basketball court with a 12-second shot clock and scoring by 1s and 2s. The winner is the first team to get to 21 points — or whoever is leading after 10 minutes.