Gut-Wrenching Miss Costs Jimmer Fredette, Team USA Gold Medal By Matter Of Inches After Ball Hangs On Rim For Ages

Jimmer Fredette and Team USA finished with a silver medal at the FIBA 3X3 World Cup on Sunday. The United States lost by a matter of inches.

For those who are unfamiliar, 3X3 basketball is as simple as it sounds:

Team USA has been dominant on the women's side and won gold at the 2020(21) Olympics in Tokyo. Hailey Van Lith and Cameron Brink led the women to gold at the 3X3 World Cup this year as well.

The men did not qualify for the most recent Olympic Games, but won the gold medal at the 2022 World Cup. They came insanely close to repeating in 2023.

Fredette played for Team USA alongside Canyon Berry, the son of Rick Berry, former Princeton star Kareem Maddox and 3X3 veteran Dylan Travis. He was the star, and they were dominant throughout the week.

Jimmer Fredette was a bucket, as per usual.

Maddox said it best: "If you don't know, you better ask somebody."

Unfortunately, the only shot that Fredette missed all week (not really, but it sure seemed like it) came at the most crucial time. And it wasn't by much.

Team USA met Serbia, the reigning gold medalists, in the World Cup finals.

The United States was hanging on to a late lead and Fredette had an opportunity to put the game away with a two-pointer that would have capped it at 21. It looked good, but it wasn't.

Barely.

If Fredette's shot had swung around the rim and gone in, Team USA would have secured its second-straight World Cup gold medal. He missed.

Serbia mounted a comeback and forced a turnover on the United States' final possession to secure the win.

All it took was a lucky bounce and Fredette's shot would have gone in.

Instead, it was an unlucky bounce that cost Team USA a first-place finish. Absolutely brutal.