SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - From his rise from upstate New York to BYU to Jimmermania to the NBA, it has been a storybook life for Jimmer Fredette. In fact, his story is now in a book, titled The Contract, written by Pat Forde.
Fredette was back in Utah promoting the new book and also discussing his transition into the NBA, which did not go as smoothly as a lot of people expected.
"The first year was a crazy year," Fredette said. "With the shortened season and not having a full training camp, it was tough."
Jimmer faced a lot of expectations as a rookie, having been drafted 10th overall by the Sacramento Kings. A lot of people were hopeful Jimmer would help save a struggling franchise. That didn't happen. Jimmer's playing time was inconsistent, and so was his play. The Kings struggled to a 22-44 record, the second worst in the Western Conference.
"We had a coaching change the first week of games, so it was really really crazy," Fredette said. "The season was shortened, so we were playing a lot of games in a week."
The NBA lockout didn't help, and neither did a coaching change from Paul Westphal to Keith Smart. Some nights Jimmer would play 25 minutes, while others he wouldn't get off the bench. For the season, Jimmer averaged 7.6 points on 39 percent shooting from the field.
But he has worked tirelessly this off-season to improve his consistency and point guard skills.
"It was a great learning experience for me," Fredette said. "I had some good games and had some bad games, that's what happens with rookies. You go through those types of ups and downs. So, I'm excited to be more consistent this year and be able to make a playoff push."
But even if he and the Kings struggle again, Jimmer will always be treated like royalty when he comes back to Utah.
"It's a second home to me," said BYU's all-time leading scorer. "I really love it here. The four years I was here for college were four of the best years of my life. The fans are great and the people at BYU were amazing. The fans in general in Utah are so supportive and they still support me."
