Paris Olympics 2024: USA announces first-ever 3x3 men's basketball team

Team USA will send its first-ever 3x3 men's basketball team to the Paris Olympics this year. The list of players who qualified for the event has been released which includes stars such as Canyon Barry and Jimmer Fredette.

The 3x3 basketball was added to the Olympics program for the first time in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. The sport also featured in the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Youth Games before eventually being included in the Tokyo Games in 2020.

Latvian national team won the first gold medal of the event while Russia and Serbia secured silver and bronze, respectively. USA was not part of the 3x3 men's basketball competition at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 after failing to qualify for the event.

However, for the first time ever, America will send its 3x3 men's basketball team to the Paris Olympics 2024. The team is spearheaded by Canyon Barry, Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox, and Dylan Travis. Joe Lewandowski will continue being the head coach of the team after successful campaigns at the 3x3 Men's World Cup and Pan American games last year.

The USA Basketball 3x3 men's national team comprising the above quartet won the gold medal at the FIBA Men's AmeriCup 2022. They added another gold to their cabinet at the 2023 Pan American Games before settling for a silver at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Vienna.

“It would be a dream come true” - Jimmer Fredette on Paris Olympics 2024

Jimmer Freddet to represent USA Basketball 3x3 men's team at Paris Olympics 2024

Jimmer Fredette was part of the NBA team BYU for six seasons until 2019. The 2011 NCAA Player of the Year received a call from the US basketball 3x3 men’s National team in 2022 and made his debut in November.

Fredette was part of the gold-winning American team at the 2023 Pan American Games but his ultimate dream remains to be an Olympic athlete. Speaking with NBC Sports last summer, the 35-year-old credited the Olympic dream for making a move to the 3x3 national basketball team.

“If I had a chance to go to the Olympics, it would be a dream come true. It’s one of my favorite events of all time, and I watch every everything. I have so much respect for the athletes and all the time that they put in with people not watching them to give them their five minutes of fame. So that really drew me to it.", he expressed.

Jimmer Fredette will become the second oldest basketball player to represent America on the grand stage with his debut at the Paris Olympics in July.