Jimmer Fredette has revived his basketball career and is set to compete for the United States 3x3 team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 35-year-old has had an up-and-down road to reach this stage. Fredette was a college basketball superstar, averaging 28.9 points per game at BYU as a senior to earn the Naismith Award for the best player in the country in 2011.
He was selected by the Kings (via the Bucks) with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but his career never panned out. After bouncing around from team to team, Fredette elected to take his talents overseas where he became a Chinese Basketball Association legend with the Shanghai Sharks.
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Fredette was an MVP and three-time CBA All-Star before the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to return to the United States. In 2022, he was picked up by USA Basketball's 3x3 team and has won two gold medals in FIBA competitions prior to his Olympic debut in France.
For more on his NBA shortcomings that led to this slight career change in the same sport, The Sporting News has you covered below.
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Jimmer Fredette NBA career
Kings (2011-14)
Fredette was selected by the Kings with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The reigning National Player of the Year was supposed to be an NBA-ready product as a 22-year-old rookie, but his first season didn't play out that way.
Fredette came off the bench behind starting guards Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton, serving as Sacramento's sixth man. He only averaged 7.6 points in 18.6 minutes per game and shot 36.1 percent from deep as a rookie.
In his second season, Isaiah Thomas jumped Fredette on the depth chart and left the top-10 pick without a defined role on the Kings. Fredette's scoring average and playing time regressed, posting 7.2 points in 14.0 minutes per game.
By his third year, he had fallen out of Sacramento's rotation. Fredette was waived by the Kings midway through the 2013-14 season.
Bulls (2014)
The Bulls signed Fredette to a contract through the rest of the 2013-14 season after being waived by the Kings.
Chicago was a playoff team, and there weren't many minutes available in a guard rotation that included Jimmy Butler, Kirk Hinrich, D.J. Augustin, and Mike Dunleavy.
Fredette only appeared in eight games, averaging 4.0 points in 7.0 minutes. The Bulls did not offer him a new contract in the offseason.
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Pelicans (2014-15)
The Pelicans took a flier on the former top-10 pick for the 2014-15 season, signing Fredette to a one-year deal. The hope was that Fredette could replace sharpshooter Anthony Morrow, who signed with the Thunder that offseason.
Fredette was given an opportunity to carve out a role, appearing in 50 games, but his 3-point shot abandoned him, shooting 9-for-48 (18.8 percent) while averaging just 3.6 points in 10.2 minutes.
New Orleans did not re-sign Fredette after the season.
Spurs, Pelicans (2015)
The Spurs tried to give Fredette a chance to make the roster during the preseason, but he was waived after two exhibition games. The Pelicans gave him another shot on a non-guaranteed deal but he was waived after four games.
Knicks, Westchester Knicks (2015-16)
After being cut by the Spurs and Pelicans, Fredette was relegated to the then-D-League. He signed with the Westchester Knicks, where he started to get some confidence back.
Fredette averaged 21.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 41.1 percent from 3 in the D-League, earning All-Star honors. He was named D-League All-Star Game MVP after going off for 35 points.
The New York Knicks gave Fredette a 10-day contract, but he only played five minutes over a five-game span. He ended up being All-D-League Second Team, but he went unsigned as an NBA free agent that offseason.
Suns (2018-19)
In 2016, Fredette took his talents overseas where he became an MVP-caliber player for the Shanghai Sharks for three seasons. He attempted to make a return to the NBA in 2018-19, signing a two-year contract with the Suns.
Fredette's return didn't last long, only appearing in six games. He averaged 3.7 points in 10.8 minutes and Phoenix did not pick up the second-year option on his deal once the season ended.
His last NBA game was on April 9, 2019.
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Jimmer Fredette NBA stats
Over six NBA seasons, Fredette averaged 6.0 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. He appeared in 241 NBA games but he only made seven starts — all as a rookie with the Kings.
Fredette only scored 20-plus points three times in his career. He went for a career-high 24 points with six 3-pointers in an overtime win over the Knicks in 2014.
You can find Fredette's year-by-year stats below.
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 2011-12 | SAC | 61 | 18.6 | 38.6 | 36.1 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 7.6 |
| 2012-13 | SAC | 69 | 14.0 | 42.1 | 41.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 7.2 |
| 2013-14 | SAC/CHI | 49 | 10.6 | 47.1 | 47.6 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 5.6 |
| 2014-15 | NOP | 50 | 10.2 | 38.0 | 18.8 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2015-16 | NOP/NYK | 6 | 3.0 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| 2016-17 | Played in China | |||||||
| 2017-18 | Played in China | |||||||
| 2018-19 | PHX | 6 | 10.8 | 27.6 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
