Stephen Curry was a must-watch midmajor star during his last few collegiate seasons at Davidson, thanks to the sharpshooting that has gone on to transform the NBA. When he left college for the pros in 2009, his mantle was taken up by BYU's Jimmer Fredette, a gunner from Glens Falls, N.Y. who lit up the Mountain West en route to becoming a consensus All-American and the national player of the year in 2011.
Fredette's basketball journey took him from Upstate New York to Provo, Utah to a trip around the world. The No. 10 pick in the 2011 NBA draft, Fredette had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns before embarking on an international career. He became a superstar playing in China and Greece, winning the Greek League and joining the EuroLeague's 50-40-90 club playing for Rick Pitino with Panathinaikos.
After playing for Beirut's Sagesse SC in the Lebanese Basketball League in 2024–25, Fredette is calling it a career. He announced his retirement on social media Wednesday afternoon.
"This game and my love for it has shaped me into the person I am today and for that I am forever grateful," Fredette wrote.
Along with his note, he shared a highlight video from his wide-ranging basketball career, which began with an image of a handwritten contract that he wrote for himself in January 2007, as a senior in high school:
"I James T Fredette agree on this day Jan 27, 2007 to do the work and make the neccessary sacrifices to be able to reach my ultimate goal of playing in the NBA".
It’s time to say goodbye to basketball. I have loved every second of my career through the good and the bad! Thank you all for the support throughout the years. Basketball has made me who I am today. Excited for what is next in my life with my family! pic.twitter.com/Rx4r8Y4yfG
— Jimmer Fredette (@jimmerfredette) April 23, 2025
After averaging 28.9 points per game as a senior at BYU and finishing as the NCAA scoring champion, Fredette reached that goal in the 2011 draft, being selected with the No. 10 pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was immediately traded to the Kings, and posted career highs as a rookie, averaging 7.6 points per game.
After bouncing around the NBA and the G League, Fredette would become a dominant force in China's CBA, averaging more than 34.5 points per game across four years with the Shanghai Sharks. He was the league's international MVP in 2017.
Fredette had the chance to play for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of the men's 3x3 team. Despite the team's struggles, it was a very cool late-career opportunity for a college basketball great-turned-well-traveled basketball journeyman.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jimmer Fredette Makes Big Announcement About His Basketball Career.
