Any college hoops fan's eyes will light up if you mention the name Jimmer Fredette.
The former BYU star was quickly adored because of his unlimited range as a 3-point shooter. He took over the NCAA as a senior, averaging 28.9 points per game to win the Naismith Award and AP Player of the Year in 2011.
Fredette's shooting ability got him selected by the Kings (via the Bucks) as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. With the 3-ball slowly becoming the most popular shot in basketball, it felt like Fredette was set to thrive at the next level.
His NBA career never took off the way most expected, but Fredette still enjoyed a decorated career overseas. Now, he will suit up for USA Basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics, competing for a gold medal in 3x3 basketball.
For more on Fredette's journey from his NBA exit to becoming an Olympian, The Sporting News has you covered below.
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Jimmer Fredette career timeline
Jimmer Fredette's NBA career
Kings (2011-14)
Fredette was selected by the Kings with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and was expected to be an instant-impact player after a strong four-year college career. He came off the bench behind starting guards Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton, playing a sixth-man role as a rookie in Sacramento.
Fredette did not provide the microwaving scoring the Kings would have hoped for, though. He only averaged 7.6 points in 18.6 minutes per game and shot 36.1 percent from 3 as a first-year player.
In his second season, Fredette was passed by Isaiah Thomas on the depth chart. The BYU star regressed by averaging 7.2 points in 14.0 minutes per game, even though he shot an improved 41.7 percent from 3.
In his third year in 2013-14, Fredette failed to carve out a role with Sacramento and was waived halfway through the 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 did not extend him a contract offer in the offseason after averaging 4.0 points in 7.0 minutes over eight games.
Pelicans (2014-15)
The Pelicans took a flyer on the former top-10 pick for the 2014-15 season, signing Fredette to a one-year deal. Fredette struggled to find any sort of rhythm, averaging 3.6 points in 10.2 minutes over 50 games while shooting 18.8 percent from 3 for the season.
Spurs, Pelicans (2015)
The Spurs tried to give Fredette a chance to make the roster during the preseason but he was waived before the start of the season. The Pelicans gave him another shot on a non-guaranteed deal but he was waived after four games.
Knicks, Westchester Knicks (2015-16)
Fredette landed with the Knicks' then-D-League team, the Westchester Knicks, where he started to gain some confidence. He was a D-League All-Star and even earned a 10-day contract with New York.
The Knicks did not offer Fredette another contract after he only played five minutes over a five-game span.
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Jimmer Fredette's overseas career
Shanghai Sharks (2016-19)
Fredette did not get signed by an NBA team after the 2015-16 season and elected to take his talents to the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The 3-point marksman immediately became a CBA legend, earning league MVP honors in his first season after averaging 37.6 points per game.
Fredette ended up playing three seasons with the Sharks, earning CBA All-Star honors each year. Fredette was an unstoppable scorer for Shanghai, going off for as many as 75 points in a single game in 2018.
He attempted to make an NBA comeback in 2018-19, signing a contract with the Suns. Fredette only appeared in six games and averaged 3.7 points in 10.8 minutes before Phoenix elected to let him walk in free agency at the end of the season.
Panathinaikos, return to Shanghai (2019-21)
Returning overseas in 2019-20, Fredette elected for a tougher challenge, signing a two-year deal with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and world-renowned EuroLeague.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the Greek League season. Panathinaikos was forced to ask Fredette to take a 50 percent pay cut due to financial difficulties and he elected to leave the team.
Fredette returned to the Shanghai Sharks in 2020-21, but the ongoing effects of the pandemic forced Fredette to leave China. It was reported that the league would not likely have foreign players to start the 2021-22 season, ending Fredette's tenure with Shanghai.
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Jimmer Fredette's 3x3 basketball career
Fredette's basketball journey did not end there. In 2022, he started a career in the newly developed world of 3x3 basketball — a unique story in which The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy detailed ahead of Fredette's Olympic debut.
Fredette quickly became a 3x3 star, earning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup. He also collected a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and a gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games.
The former college basketball phenom will now take center stage for the United States 3x3 team at the 2024 Paris Games.
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