Sharks extend Fredette’s contract by 2 years

THE Shanghai Sharks yesterday announced a two-year extension of its contract with American point guard Jimmer Fredette.

Fredette led the Sharks to third place in the 20-team Chinese Basketball Association table last season. The team was eliminated by the Shenzhen Leopards in the quarterfinals of the playoff, but it was still the Sharks’ best performance over the past few years. Being the backbone of the team, Fredette averaged a league-high 37.6 points and 8.2 rebounds last season. The Sharks’ performance brought their fans back to Yuanshen Stadium, and who gave the nickname “God of Loneliness” to Fredette, as his name Jimmer sounds like jimo — loneliness in Chinese. The 28-year-old was also named the foreign MVP of the regular season. Fredette is reported to be earning an annual salary of US$1.8 million under the new contract. He is also the first foreign player in Sharks’ history to play for the team for three years. Fredette will partner newcomer Nick Minnerath.