Several players have had brief stints with the New York Knicks, especially during the years when the team was the laughingstock of the league. One of those players was Jimmer Fredette, whom you may remember more from his collegiate days at BYU than from his time in the NBA.
The Bucks selected Fredette with the No. 10 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he was traded to the Kings. His best two years in the league were his first two. He averaged a career-high 7.6 points as a rookie on 36.1% shooting from three in 61 games and 7.2 points per game the following season on 41.7% shooting from three in 69 games.
Fredette's third season in Sacramento was his last. The Kings bought him out in February 2014 and he signed with the Bulls. He appeared in only eight games for Chicago. Fredette then spent a season and a half in New Orleans before being waived in November 2016. He then joined the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 22.3 points per game. Fredette was even named the MVP of the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game.
New York signed him to a 10-day contract, filling the team's last open roster spot. Fans might remember Carmelo Anthony referring to Jimmer as "Jimmy," saying, "To be honest with you, I haven't seen Jimmy play in a long time. Fredette's time with the big-league Knicks was brief, as he appeared in only two games.
The guard spent the next three seasons playing for the Shanghai Sharks before the Suns signed him in March 2019. He appeared in six games for Phoenix, which wound up being his last in the NBA.
Jimmer Fredette announces retirement from basketball
On Wednesday, Fredette announced his retirement from basketball. It's been a few seasons since he last played in the NBA, but that doesn't mean he wasn't still active in the sport. He most recently played for Team USA's 3x3 basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Fredette never came close to reaching the level of hype he had during his BYU days in the NBA, but he should still be proud of everything he accomplished. "JimmerMania" will never be forgotten.
He said that it's "not easy to say goodbye" to the sport as a player. Hopefully, the next chapter of his life will be even more fulfilling.
Once A Knick Always a Knick, right? Shoutout to Jimmer!