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PARIS — The first sign that the U.S. men’s 3x3 team would not have Jimmer Fredette Thursday against Lithuania came during player introductions.
When the PA announcer introduced Fredette, the American star limped slowly and gingerly out of the tunnel.
Fredette remained rooted to a courtside folding chair for the entirety of his team's 20-18 loss to Lithuania, watching helplessly as the U.S. fell to 0-3 in group play at the Paris Olympics. He described himself as "game to game" with a left leg injury after the game but declined further comment.
Fredette initially suffered the injury with about three minutes remaining in the U.S.’s loss to Poland on Wednesday night. A trainer massaged Fredette's left upper thigh as the former BYU star visibly winced in pain.
Though Fredette returned to Wednesday's game against Poland, the 35-year-old did not move like his usual self. USA Basketball offered no update on his condition after the game, but teammate Kareem Maddox told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday night that he was “not too concerned.”
“I guarantee you he’ll be playing tomorrow,” Maddox added.
Turned out Maddox was overly optimistic. All that Fredette could do against Lithuania was diagram plays and shout encouragement to his teammates.
Other U.S. players learned at a Thursday afternoon team meeting that Fredette was not healthy enough to join them on the floor that evening. No one would offer further specifics about Fredette's injury, but teammate Dylan Travis described an "emotional scene.
"We all shed some tears," Travis said. "He has worked his whole career and came out of retirement to do this."
When asked if he was preparing as though Fredette would not return during the Olympics, Travis said, "Yeah, I think you've got to prepare like it's us three and hope for the best that he can come back."
Fredette's injury is the latest blow to USA Basketball's reeling 3x3 program. The women also lost their first three games before beating Spain 17-11 on Thursday.
The U.S. men arrived in Paris as one of the favorites to win men’s 3x3 gold in Paris, but the Americans may have a hard time even advancing out of group play without Fredette. Not only was he their best player and offensive engine during Olympic qualifying, his absence leaves the U.S. with no available substitutes and forces Canyon Barry, Travis and Maddox to play every minute.
Two summers ago, when USA Basketball’s Fran Fraschilla approached Fredette about playing 3x3 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.”
The hotly anticipated Jimmermania revival tour, though, hasn’t come to fruition. The former BYU folk hero scored just four points in the U.S.’s opening loss to Serbia on Tuesday night and then had three points on Wednesday against Poland.
Without Fredette against Lithuania, the U.S. attacked the rim and leaned on Barry to do more of the playmaking. Barry led the U.S. with nine points, but his potential game-tying step-back jumper from behind the arc fell short as time expired, a fitting ending for an American team that has misfired from deep consistently in Paris.
"I had a clean look," Barry said. "I honestly thought it was good when it left my hand."
The U.S. lost again Thursday night, falling to Latvia, 21-19, with Fredette again sidelined.
"He's like family to us," Barry said. "When one of your family is hurting and down, everyone is down.
"He deserves this more than anyone. He's such a good human being. For him not to be able to compete in the game today after everything that he has put into this, it's really sad."
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