His jump shot behind the arc turned into a game-winning shot. Jimmer Fredette took the American team to the gold medal at the AmeriCup 3×3, organized this weekend by FIBA in Miami, with a final victory against Puerto Rico (21-18).
“ It’s incredible. It’s really nice to be able to win gold and bring it home for USA after some really good competition against some really strong teams. These guys are good. They play well, they play hard. It was great to be able to come away with a victory “, reacts the former NBA player, quoted by the AP.
His team, which includes Canyon Barry – the competition’s best player – Kareem Maddox (9 points in the final) and Dylan Travis, finished the tournament with a perfect record of five unbeaten victories. The American selection finished with the same record last year, after a competition – the first of its kind – ended with another gold medal.
This victory confirms the international ambitions of the former Kings, Pelicans or Bulls player. The latter indeed hopes to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games thanks to this discipline, introduced to the Olympic Games during the last edition of Tokyo.
A practice that has the particularity of not arguing in conventional rooms. Players may therefore have to deal with the vagaries of the weather, as was the case this weekend in Miami. Temporary fields had been set up for the tournament near the Heat room. Much of the esplanade is covered with a roof, but there are no walls, which means the wind affected the shots.
A brief downpour delayed the start of the women’s gold medal game, which Canada won against Brazil, while the men’s final was also delayed due to rain and wind. The organizers had to take out mops and towels to make the field passable. ” We’ve known a bit of everything », summarizes Jimmer Fredette, whose female compatriots won the bronze medal.
Photo credit: Team USA
