The time has finally come for Jimmer Fredette, a college star who became an NBA lottery pick and ended his days playing 3×3 basketball for the United States national team, to hang up his hoop sneakers for good. This Wednesday, the 36-year-old announced his retirement on social media.
“Basketball has taken me all around this world: from Glens Falls NY, to BYU, the NBA, China, Greece, and even Team USA at the Olympics!” he wrote. “This game and my love for it has shaped me into the person I am today and for that I am forever grateful.”
The player who started out his career at BYU, had led the nation with 28.9 points per match in 2010-11, winning the consensus national player of the year. “So many memories and amazing moments. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it! The next journey starts now,” he recalled.
“The first time I was outside with my brother shooting baskets and I saw the ball go in I was hooked. I love the repetition, the consistency, and basketball had my heart,” Jimmer said about his beginnings, that later transformed into becoming the No. 10 pick by the Bucks in the 2011 NBA Draft.
He was then traded to Sacramento, but spent his six seasons in the NBA also playing for Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Phoenix. Fredette also competed professionally in Greece and China, where he earned the MVP award in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2017.
However, his best memories playing on the court will always be during his final years, as he dedicated himself to 3×3 basketball. The 36-year-old contributed to the Americans winning gold medals at the 2022 FIBA 3×3, AmeriCup and 2023 Pan American Games,
“I owe a lot of who I am today to this game and it’s not easy to say goodbye as a player,” wrote Fredette, who earned USA Basketball’s 3×3 male athlete of the year in 2023. “But the time has come.”
