USA’s Jimmer Fredette: from college basketball comet to Olympic 3x3 hopeful

The former BYU star drew comparisons with Steph Curry coming out of college but he never established himself in the NBA. Now he has a chance at gold

Jimmer Fredette was a comet in college. He won the National Player of the Year in 2011 and was the leading scorer in the NCAA as a senior for BYU. He wowed in the NCAA tournament, often taking on opponents one-on-five, and drew comparisons to Stephen Curry for his sharp shooting.

But Fredette’s pro career didn’t pan out as he, and his many fans, hoped. Instead of becoming a multi-time NBA All-Star like Curry, he struggled to find his footing after being drafted 10th overall in 2011, playing for Sacramento for two-and-a-half seasons and then bouncing around the league before playing in Greece and China. But the 35-year-old has found a new calling as the face of USA’s men’s 3x3 basketball team. He will make his Olympic debut when the Americans begin their campaign against Germany on Tuesday.