Former BYU star Jimmer Fredette scored 75 points in a Chinese Basketball Association game Sunday, a career high for the ex-NBA journeyman who is playing his third professional season in China.
After a slow start, Fredette found his groove and went on a scoring spree in the second half of the game, netting 40 points in the fourth quarter alone to set a league record.
However, Fredette's performance wasn't enough to lead the Shanghai Sharks past host Beikong, which prevailed 137-136. After he scored on an acrobatic layup to put his team up by two points with 7.2 seconds left in the game, Beikong's Pierre Jackson drained the winning 3.
"Absolutely sick about the loss tonight. But what a game it was! Proud of our guys for fighting back," Fredette wrote on Chinese social media after the game.
Since joining the CBA in 2016, Fredette -- who has been given the nickname "the lonely god" by the Sharks faithful -- has drawn many fans in China with his scoring ability and affable personality. In his inaugural season, Fredette scored 73 points in a double-overtime game, his previous career high.
This season, he's averaging 38.3 points per game and is leading the league with 3.9 steals per game.
After being named the Naismith College Player of the Year with BYU in 2011, Fredette was the 10th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in that year's draft, but he never matched his college success in the NBA. The 29-year-old has played for the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks.