Jimmer Fredette coming out of retirement to resume 3x3 basketball career

Jimmer Fredette is coming out of retirement and back to the 3×3 basketball court.

USA Basketball announced Tuesday that Glens Falls native Fredette, who retired from competition in April 2025, has been added to Team Miami for the remainder of the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Men’s Pro Circuit, and that he will make his season debut this coming weekend at the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Phoenix Challenger.

Along with his return to competition, Fredette is stepping down from his role as the managing director for the USA Basketball men’s 3×3 national team, a job he took on shortly after his retirement announcement.

Now, the former Glens Falls High School legend who went on to become a college basketball star at Brigham Young University before a professional career in the NBA and overseas, is ready to play once again.

“When I retired from the game I love 18 months ago, I was at peace,” Fredette said in a news release. “As my time removed from the halfcourt extended, I realized I still have something left. The possibility to come back came with the inspiration of my wife and family. I am focused on helping the USA Basketball 3×3 program achieve new heights. I am thankful for the support and encouragement as I take on this challenge.”

Fredette was the former No. 1-ranked 3×3 player in the world and played for the U.S. on its first 3×3 men’s Olympic team in 2024. He was the 2023 USA Basketball 3×3 Male Athlete of the Year after leading Team USA to a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, and he won gold medals at the 2023 Pan American Games and 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup.

Fredette replaces the injured Dylan Travis on the Team Miami roster, which also includes Riley Battin, Henry Caruso, Mitch Hahn, James Parrott and Jackson Trapp. Four members of a 3×3 team may compete at each competition for which their team has a bid.

“USA Basketball is grateful for the extensive time Jimmer gave to our 3×3 men’s program as Managing Director,” Jay Demings, USA Basketball 3×3 national team director, said in a news release. “We are excited to have Jimmer return as a player on Team Miami, a team he is a founding member of, at the FIBA 3×3 Phoenix Challenger.”

Fredette, 37, is a 2007 graduate of Glens Falls, where he finished his high school career with 2,404 points. He led Glens Falls to the 2007 NYSPHSAA Class A state championship game. When he graduated from high school, Fredette held Section 2’s all-time boys’ basketball career scoring record.

He moved on to BYU, where he emerged as one of the best college basketball scorers of his era. He broke Danny Ainge’s BYU career scoring record, and was a unanimous choice as national player of the year as a senior in 2010-11 after he averaged 28.9 points per game, led BYU to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Fredette was selected 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2011 NBA Draft, with his rights immediately traded to the Sacramento Kings. Ultimately, the 6-foot-2 guard bounced around the league during a six-season NBA career, playing 241 games between stints with the Kings, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.

He went overseas in 2016 to join the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. Fredette was the CBA International MVP in 2017 and a three-time CBA all-star in his four seasons in China. 

Fredette had games of 70 and 75 points during his career in China, including one game in which he scored 60 points after halftime.

Fredette’s international exploits also included 27 games with Greek club Panathinaikos during the 2019-20 season.

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This article originally published at Jimmer Fredette coming out of retirement to resume 3×3 basketball career.