Save for six nondescript games with the Phoenix Suns in 2019, former BYU star Jimmer Fredette has not played in the NBA since 2016, but if Monday was any indication, he’s still somewhat of a national phenomenon going back to his college days.
Fredette scored 70 points for the Shanghai Sharks in a game late Sunday/early Monday. On Monday afternoon, ESPN made mention of his performance in a tweet on the network’s official SportsCenter account, which has roughly 37.3 million followers. Forty minutes after it was posted, it had roughly 1,400 retweets and 763 quote tweets, along with roughly 15,200 likes.
As the tweet indicates, Fredette made 11 3-pointers and also tallied nine assists and eight rebounds in 54 minutes.
CGTN Sports Scene, an English sports TV show in China, noted on Twitter that one of Fredette’s 3-pointers forced overtime against the Sichuan Blue Whales.
Despite Fredette’s performance, the Blue Whales wound up winning 136-129 in double overtime, as they had a great performance from a player of their own. Marcus Georges-Hunt, who has played some in the NBA since leaving college in 2016, dropped 68 points, including a 3-pointer that forced the second extra session.
According to CGTN, it was the third time Fredette has scored 70 points in a game during his two stints with the Sharks.