Jimmer Fredette made a strong case for a return to the NBA by scoring 41 points on the Houston Rockets for the Shanghai Sharks in an international preseason game
- Jimmer Fredette put up 41 points against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in his first NBA action in two years.
- Fredette now plays for the Shanghai Sharks, who were taking on the Rockets in a preseason game.
- While it wasn't Fredette's best night from the floor, his performance was strong enough that an eventual return to the NBA feels like a possibility.
Jimmer Fredette's career path as a professional basketball player has been anything but smooth.
After getting drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Fredette was traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he would cause a quick uptick in ticket and jersey sales before eventually having his contract bought out three years later. Fredette would go on to spend short stints with the Bulls, Pelicans, and Knicks before finding himself out of the NBA in 2016.
Since then, Fredette has made a name for himself in the Chinese Basketball Association playing for the Shanghai Sharks, re-embracing his role as a fearless shooter that made him such a standout in college and quickly becoming a popular player in the league.
On Tuesday night, Fredette found himself back on an NBA court, with the Sharks taking on the Houston Rockets in a preseason game as the Rockets tune-up for the coming season. While Fredette averaged just six points per game in his NBA career, on Tuesday he was the Sharks' standout, putting up 41 points in his semi-return to NBA action.
Admittedly, Fredette could have been sharper, taking 40 shots and shooting just 40% from the field.
While the Sharks would lose, 128-86, Fredette certainly looked competent enough competing against NBA talent to get minutes in the league in a role off the bench.
At 29-years-old, there's still time for Fredette to make a comeback if the right opportunity arises, and he's sounded open to the idea of speaking with ESPN earlier in the summer.
"I would always love to get another chance in the NBA," Fredette told ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "I've gotten better in China and improved every year. ... You hope somebody takes notice."
One performance might not be enough to earn an NBA contract, but Fredette certainly didn't look overwhelmed by the spotlight. For now, the Sharks are set to open their season on October 21 against the Bayi Rockets.