Jimmer Fredette Might Be Looking For New Pro Basketball Team
Jun 18, 2021, 8:48 PM | Updated: Dec 8, 2022, 10:48 am
Jimmer Fredette #32 of Shanghai Bilibili Sharks shoots the ball during the 2018/2019 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League tenth round match between Beijing Beikong Fly Dragons and Shanghai Bilibili Sharks at Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium on November 11, 2018 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
(Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The pro basketball career for BYU basketball legend Jimmer Fredette might have a new chapter soon.
Reports emerged on Friday from Sina Corporation in China that the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will start next season without foreigners.
Next Chinese CBA season will likely be played without foreign players, according to local journalist Jia Lei.
The decision of CBA shareholders has been submitted to the General Administration of Sports for approval— Emiliano Carchia (@Carchia) June 18, 2021
Fredette is currently in his second stint with the Shanghai Sharks, a member of the CBA.
Removing foreigners from CBA rosters could save each CBA team up to $4 million. Fredette has reportedly been earning $1.6 million with the Sharks.
Hours after reports emerged that the CBA was going to be played next season without foreigners, Fredette wrote a cryptic tweet that read, “Looks like I’m open for business… @nba @EuroLeague @nbl”
Looks like I’m open for business… @nba @EuroLeague @NBL
— Jimmer Fredette (@jimmerfredette) June 18, 2021
Jimmer Fredette pro career snapshot
Fredette played six years in the NBA with five different teams. His most recent appearance in the NBA was with the Phoenix Suns in 2018.
Along with the NBA, Fredette also spent one year in the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos from 2019-20. Fredette’s one year with Panathinaikos was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s where he then made a return back to China to play for the Sharks, a team that gave him the nickname, “Jimo Dashen.” In Chinese, Jimo Dashen means “Lonely Master.”
This past season with the Sharks, Fredette appeared in 47 games and averaged 26.9 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field and 39.8% from the three-point line.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
