BYU legend Jimmer Fredette announces retirement from pro basketball

PROVO — BYU legend and former National Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette has announced his retirement after an eventful and unique 14 years of professional basketball, he announced on social media.

Jimmer’s most recent appearance on the court was at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris as part of the United States’ 3×3 basketball team.

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

Jimmer Fredette’s college career

Fredette played for BYU from 2007-11, and became a national phenomenon as a result of his incredible three-point shooting and endless range. During his time in Provo, Fredette became BYU Basketball’s all-time leading scorer with 2,599 points, a mark that would later be surpassed by Tyler Haws, who now holds the honor with 2,720 points.

As a senior in 2011, the guard led BYU to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Sweet 16, where they fell to Florida. During that run, Jimmer put together one of the most unforgettable March Madness performances with 34 points and seven three-pointers against Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

His senior season performance earned him the Naismith Player of the Year award and the consensus 2011 National Player of the Year.

During his time at BYU, Fredette averaged 18.7 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting, including 39.4 percent from beyond the arc. He played in 139 games for the Cougars.

Jimmer Fredette’s professional career

His career started on draft night in 2011 when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded that same night to the Sacramento Kings, but his career would end up taking him around the world.

After a disappointing stint in Sacramento, Jimmer bounced between the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans in 2015 and 2016. Later in 2015, Fredette kept the NBA dream alive, but spent time with the Knicks’ G-League affiliate in Westchester while also getting some time with the senior squad in New York.

After five years in the NBA, Jimmer had failed to find a good fit and decided to take his talents to the other side of the world. Fredette joined the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association, where he was one of the most exciting players in China. He even won the CBA International MVP in 2017 and was a three-time CBA All-Star.

Jimmer was in Shanghai from 2016 to 2019. He still had NBA hopes, and his performance in China gave him another shot. In 2019, he signed a deal with the Phoenix Suns, but after playing only six games, the team decided not to exercise his second-year option.

Jimmer returned to the Shanghai Sharks in 2020, but COVID-19 complications forced him to return to the United States in 2021, ending his storied career with the organization, as he would not return.

Jimemr’s focus switched to 3×3 basketball after that, where he made his debut in 2022. He and his team, which consisted of Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox, and Dylan Travis, participated in several national and international tournaments between 2022 and 2024, even winning gold at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup and silver at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup.

The team qualified and represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, but an injury limited Fredette, and the team went 2-5 in the tournament.

That tournament would be the last time Jimmer Fredette would lace up his shoes as a professional basketball player, announcing his retirement on April 23, 2025.

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