BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette has been buzzed about all over the web since he led his team to defeat San Diego State. Unfortunately, his 2011 NCAA tournament ended with a loss to Kenny Boynton’s Florida team. But people who have seen Jimmer play are still wondering how he got so good. One secret to his success is the time he spent in prison.
No, the young star never served time. But when he was a kid, his father would take him to a New York prison to play pick-up ball with the inmates. Fredette said the experience made him “mentally tough” because of all the heckling and abuse he received from inmates. [Source: DiRocco, Michael. “Gators NCAA Notebook: BYU’s Jimmer Fredette benefits from prison pickup games,” Jacksonville.com, 3/17/10. Downloaded from: http://jacksonville.com/sports/college/florida_gators/2010-03-18/story/gators_ncaa_notebook_byus_jimmer_fredette_benefits_fr]
Inmates in up-state New York might not have been impressed by a young Jimmer Fredette, but today’s Jimmer seems to be impressing everyone. After last Wednesday’s win, Kevin Durant (of the Oklahoma City Thunder) tweeted that, “Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in the world!!” [Source: Kevin Durant Twitter Account, 1/26/11, at http://twitter.com/kdthunderup]. Fredette is pretty amazing.
This prison story reveals one of the main reasons that Jimmer Fredette is so good. He is willing to do anything to improve his basketball game. It doesn’t matter whether the drills are glamorous or not – it just matters that they work. Even after his most recent win, Fredette was back to work drilling jump shots to improve his percentage from the field, according to his Twitter account. [Source: Jimmer Fredette Twitter account, 1/27/11, at: http://twitter.com/JimmerFredette_]
For critics who question whether Jimmer Fredette will be a star in the NBA, the answer should be obvious: Any kid willing to hone his game by playing with convicts is going to be willing to do what it takes to succeed at a professional level. Jimmer Fredette has what it takes.
Sources
DiRocco, Michael. “Gators NCAA Notebook: BYU’s Jimmer Fredette benefits from prison pickup games,” Jacksonville.com, 3/17/10. Downloaded from: http://jacksonville.com/sports/college/florida_gators/2010-03-18/story/gators_ncaa_notebook_byus_jimmer_fredette_benefits_fr
Jimmer Fredette Twitter account, 1/27/11, at: http://twitter.com/JimmerFredette_
Kevin Durant Twitter Account, 1/26/11, at http://twitter.com/kdthunderup
