As a professional basketball player, Jimmer Fredette knows all about traveling both on and off the court. After an impressive college and NBA career, he played in Greece and China before returning to the States to spend more time with his three kids, Wesley, 7, Taft, 5, and Greyson, 2. This summer, they will be joining him in Paris as he competes on Team USA's first-ever 3x3 basketball team.

"My wife and three kids are all coming, which will be a little bit hectic," he shares with What to Expect. "But I know that they're super excited about the opportunity because it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing." 

There will be a little three-on-three happening off the court as well: "My wife's parents are coming too," he says. "It's going to be good to have all three of them. You have one [adult] per kid at least." 

After more than a decade of playing traditional 5x5 basketball, Fredette turned to 3x3 in 2022 in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in this new event. Last year, he traveled to Chile, France, China and Kosovo to compete in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. His travel routine typically includes lots of video calls with his family between training and games. 

"It's not always easy to prepare [my kids for when I leave]," he says. "I tell them they can FaceTime me any time to just make sure that they feel like I'm still going to be around, I'm still going to be there." 

Off the court, he works with the Fredette Family Foundation to help families in need and prevent childhood bullying. This message of generosity is one he aims to instill in his own kids. 

"It's about just making sure that you're also practicing what you're preaching," he explains. "Making sure by example that you're trying to be a good person, trying to be inclusive to everyone, making sure that you're talking to people." 

He credits his wife for being a core example of this in his kids' lives. "She's so good at giving people that we don't know compliments and just making sure that they feel like they're wanted and they're there. And now you'll see my little daughter will come in and say a compliment to a stranger just because of the example my wife presents."