Westchester Knicks: Top 3 Games Of The 2015-16 Season
The Debut Of Jimmer Fredette
Date: November 30, 2015
Opponents: Grand Rapids Drive
Outcome: 102-90, W
When the Westchester Knicks selected Jimmer Fredette with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA D-League Draft, the fans of Westchester were counting down the days until the start of the 2015-16 season.
The anticipation started to pick up as the days got closer to opening night. But then the second player of the 2015-16 season received a call-up. That was Jimmer Fredette.
On November 10, two days before the start of the D-League season, Fredette signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. At the time of the signing, the Pelicans were dealing with injuries and signed the former No.10 overall pick via the hardship exception.
He received limited playing in New Orleans and totaled two points, one rebound and one assist in four games. Nine days after signing with the Pelicans, he was waived by the team.
The date was set. November 30, 2015. Jimmer Fredette’s debut as a Westchester Knick.
Not only did the red-hot Knicks add an offensive-minded guard in Fredette, but the New York Knicks assigned Cleanthony Early, who was making his 2015-16 D-League debut on the same day.
Early did have a solid game in his own right, but Fredette had a debut to remember.
Only 974 were in attendance for his debut, but a former boxer was at the game. Floyd Mayweather, who was in attendance to watch Jordon Crawford, had a glimpse of Fredette’s skills.
Mayweather was impressed by Fredette’s effective shooting to the point that he wanted the Westchester guard to keep shooting.
“He just kept telling me to shoot it,” Fredette said to Ian Beglay of ESPN New York. “And I was like, ‘All right, I’ll shoot it.’”
The former BYU star almost played the entire game (40.47 minutes). Fredette finished the game with 37 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. In addition, he shot 12-of-17 (.705) from the field and 2-of-5 (.400) from beyond the arc.
By defeating the Drive, the Westchester Knicks picked up their sixth win of the season.