For Jimmer Fredette, the road to recovery is long.
The former BYU star revealed he “completely tore two different ligaments” in his adductor muscles early in Team USA’s 3×3 pool play and that it will take him six months to recover from the injury.
Fredette, 35, made the announcement on social media after the U.S. team was eliminated from the Paris Olympics at the hands of the Netherlands on Sunday.
“This is devastating to me after spending the last two years working towards Olympic qualification with this group of my brothers,” Fredette wrote in an Instagram post.
“In that time, we went from being a nobody to being the No. 1 team in the world this year, accomplishing something no other American team had ever done before. We also became the No. 1 ranked player in the world on the day I was injured, which is a pretty strange coincidence. But we were all ready and excited to win a medal in Paris.”
Fredette is at the 2024 Olympics FIBA World Ranking #1 3×3 Player And the U.S. team was expected to fight for a medal.
But Fredette was injured in the second game of the tournament, leaving the U.S. team down to just three players.
The U.S. team finished with two wins and five losses at the Olympics, placing seventh out of eight teams.
They were eliminated on Sunday with a heavy 21-6 loss to the Netherlands.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” he continued in the post, “and what this experience has taught me is to enjoy the journey. You never know what’s going to happen when you get to your destination, but if you’re not enjoying getting there, then you’re missing the purpose.”
“I’m sorry to all the fans who supported me and the team. I wish the outcome had been different. But I’m grateful for all your support and love. Always keep the faith and smile.”
Fredette declined to say whether he would try again in 2028, when Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics.
