‘They have a lock on it.’ Jimmer Fredette, U.S. 3x3 Olympians credit Spokane Hoopfest for helping grow 3-on-3 game

LAS VEGAS – Jimmer Fredette and his rock-star following took over one college venue after another during an electrifying, unforgettable four-year run at BYU, but the 3-point shooting sensation never made it out to Spokane, narrowly missing out on a trip to Gonzaga and its acclaimed “Kennel.”

Gonzaga fans still got their dose of “JimmerMania” before Fredette put a bow on his decorated college career.

Fredette, of course, was responsible for one of the program’s more painful moments in the NCAA Tournament, unleashing one of his signature 3-point barrages while scoring 34 points to end the Bulldogs’ postseason run in 2011, but the consensus All-American left BYU one year before the Cougars joined the West Coast Conference and made their first trip to the McCarthey Athletic Center as a league rival.

Fredette would likely have to navigate a few resentful Gonzaga fans, but the now-35-year-old wouldn’t mind checking out Spokane one of these years, particularly if an opportunity ever presented itself near the end of June.

Fredette, the face of college basketball for at least two of his four scintillating years at BYU, is now the most recognizable member of the U.S. 3x3 basketball team competing currently at the Summer Olympics in Paris. Which means, among other things, he’s keenly aware of the most popular 3-on-3 event in the world, held every summer over two days on the sprawling blacktop streets of Spokane.

“JimmerMania” never came to Gonzaga, but Fredette at Spokane Hoopfest? He’d say not to rule it out.

“It’s awesome, I know it’s a huge event,” Fredette recently said in Las Vegas before the first-ever 3x3 U.S. Olympic team took off for Paris. “I haven’t been to it before but I’d love to get to it one day.”

After six disappointing seasons in the NBA and a successful six-year playing stint overseas, Fredette retired from the 5-on-5 game to focus on family and business ventures outside of basketball. Over the last two years, he’s brought plenty of eyeballs to the halfcourt iteration of the game since fulfilling a commitment to help the U.S. 3x3 team qualify for the Olympics, four years after a team without the BYU star failed to do so during the sport’s inaugural run at the Summer Games.

Fredette acknowledged the importance of local, accessible 3-on-3 tournaments such as Hoopfest to the sport’s growth and said he participated in a handful while growing up in Glenn Falls, New York.

“3x3 is growing, especially worldwide,” Fredette said. “Over in these other countries, it’s really big. It’s not still quite as big here, but I think people seeing it in the Olympics, I think people will be like I kind of want that more somehow, some way, so let’s figure it out. And I think it’ll help Hoopfest and some of these other events that are out there. But it’s an awesome event and I think it’s so good for youth development so it’s good to get the young kids to go out there and play and have fun, just enjoy basketball.”

Fellow Olympian Canyon Barry suggested most in the “3-on-3 bubble” know about Hoopfest and understand the impact it’s had on growing the game on an international level, even if they’ve never participated or watched the annual tournament.

“A lot of people descend on Spokane to play in it,” said Barry, a former Florida standout who’s also the son of NBA legend Rick Barry. “I think that’s kind of a cool event for the city, but also for 3 on 3 to be able to have that event in the U.S. because there’s not many as it stands right now.”

Joe Lewandowski, who’s coaching the team in Paris and has been involved with USA Basketball’s 3x3 program for over a decade in various capacities, said the organization has pulled teams from Hoopfest in the past while acknowledging Spokane “has a lock” on the 3-on-3 model.

“I just think that event has been one that has been a big, big, big supporter and growth of the sport,” Lewandowski said. “I just think if we can get more of that around the country, our basketball improves. And don’t get me wrong, we have the best basketball in the world but if you play 3x3, you get better. The touches, the actions, the sets, the way you have to compete and play for another teammate in order to win.

“Those are things, those are values of the game we all wanted and Spokane has figured out how to embrace that and the community embraces it and it’s the best event in the world.”

An estimated 4,750 teams were expected to compete in the 31st edition of Spokane Hoopfest, which was held this year from June 24-25.

“It’s been the greatest basketball 3x3 event in the country for however long it’s been,” Lewandowski said. “I know it’s legit.”

Fredette and his teammates have struggled in their Olympic tests up to this point, losing all three games to Serbia, Poland and Lithuania. The last two games were decided by a combined four points.