A roadmap to follow for the 3X3 basketball competition during the Paris Games:
Athletes to Watch
— Jimmer Fredette, United States: The 35-year-old Fredette, who became a superstar at BYU and was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, headlines the American men’s team. He began playing 3X3 in 2022 and was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2023.
— Canyon Barry, United States: The son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry played collegiately at the College of Charleston and Florida. He was the 2017 Academic All-American of the Year and has a bachelor’s degree in physics and master’s degree in nuclear engineering. He is known for his unorthodox underhand free-throw shooting, which helped him shoot 88.3% from the line as a senior.
— Strahinja Stojacic, Serbia: Stojacic started playing 3X3 fulltime in 2018 and has been ranked as the world’s top player for most of the past two seasons. The son of a professional basketball player, Stojacic is known for his epic dunks and is nicknamed “Doctor Strange.”
— Dearica Hamby, United States: Hamby was initially left off the team, but replaced Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink after she tore the ACL in her left knee last month. The 6-foot-3 Hamby was MVP of the 2023 3×3 AmeriCup and was part of the national team camp in Springfield, Massachusetts, in April.
— Hailey Van Lith, United States: Van Lith also helped the U.S. win gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Van Lith, who plays at TCU, was named MVP of the 2019 FIBA 3X3 Under-18 World Cup after leading the team to a gold medal.
Storylines to Follow
— The U.S. men’s team will compete in the event for the first time after failing to qualify in the inaugural contest in Tokyo. The addition of Fredette has vaulted the team to gold medal contenders this time around after the U.S. won silver at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and gold at both the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup in Miami and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
— Rhyne Howard, who plays for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, is on the U.S. women’s team alongside Hamby, Van Lith and Cierra Burdick. Howard played 3×3 for the first time with the U.S. at a training camp in Springfield, Massachusetts, in April.
— Serbia is ranked No. 1 in the world and is expected to contend with the United States for gold after winning bronze in Tokyo. Led by Stojacic, Serbia beat Team USA 21-19 to win the last World Cup.
Key Dates
Pool play runs from July 30-Aug. 4. Semifinals and medal games are Aug. 5.
Reigning Champions
Women: United States.
Men: Latvia.
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AP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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