2024 Olympics: Jimmer Fredette and Co. go down to World No. 1 Serbia

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PARIS — The Jimmermania revival tour is off to a bumpy start.

Jimmer Fredette tallied just four points on just five shots as Serbia established itself as the gold medal favorite, overwhelming the U.S. 22-14 on Tuesday night on the opening day of men’s 3×3 group play at the Paris Olympics.

The turning point in the game came with the U.S. still in striking distance with 4:30 remaining in the game. Referees whistled U.S. player Canyon Barry for an unsportsmanlike foul when he made a spin move in the paint and accidentally delivered an inadvertent elbow to the head of Serbian defender Mihailo Vasic.

Though Vasic sank only one of two free-throw attempts, Serbia maintained possession and extended the lead to 15-11 with a Marko Brankovic one-point shot. The U.S. never cut into that lead, losing contact with the Serbians even before Strahinja Stojacic’s game-clinching two-point shot from behind the arc.

“They just did a better job than us of executing their game plan,” Fredette said. “We got to that foul count really early. Once you get to that foul count early, they kept getting some easy baskets. Then they called a couple fouls where they were able to get to the free throw line and get the ball back.”

Two summers ago, when USA Basketball’s Fran Fraschilla approached Fredette about playing 3×3 basketball, he accepted the invitation for one major reason. “As soon as I heard ‘Olympics,’ I was like, ‘I’m all in,’” Fredette said earlier this summer. “I saw this as the opportunity of a lifetime.”

His face isn’t as boyish as it was in college. His thick brown hair is cut shorter. His forehead wrinkles are more pronounced. And yet elements of his game are still unmistakably similar to his BYU heyday 13 years ago when his audacious drives to the rim and impossibly deep 3-pointers helped him rocket to prominence.

Early in Tuesday’s game, Fredette drew ooooohs from the French crowd with a step-back jumper from behind the arc. He also had a couple of dazzling no-look assists that were vintage Fredette moments.

But as Serbia started to pull away, Fredette struggled to shake free and get off a shot attempt. And one of the only free looks that he got he squandered, blowing a wide-open layup with the U.S. already trailing 17-12.

The matchup between Serbia and the U.S. pitted two men’s 3×3 gold-medal contenders against one-another in an early litmus test for both. Serbia and the U.S. are the top two teams in the world men’s 3×3 rankings. Serbia came from behind late to topple the U.S. 21-19 in the 2023 World Cup final.

The good news for the U.S., as Fredette was quick to point out, is they “have a long way to go.” There are still six games left for the U.S. in pool play before the bracket portion of the competition. The top two teams in the eight-team pool qualify to the semifinals and the next four teams qualify to the play-in games.

So this is not doomsday for the Jimmermania revival tour.

Tour stop No. 2 will come Wednesday night against Poland.