This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sacramento guard Jimmer Fredette said Monday that he will host two exhibition games during September in the Utah area that will feature NBA rookies.
Fredette expects that Kemba Walker (Charlotte), Isaiah Thomas (Kings) and Tyler Honeycutt (Kings) will participate in the contests, which will be played under the banner of Jimmer's All-Stars. The games will be held Sept. 21 at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City and Sept. 22 at the Marriott Center in Provo.
The Provo contest will mark Fredette's official return to Brigham Young University, and will occur before he has played a professional game for Sacramento. The NBA has been in a lockout since July 1.
"I'm really looking forward to making my debut as a professional in front of the fans who have so passionately supported me during my time at BYU," Fredette said. "This will be fun opportunity to bring some other NBA draftees to Utah for the chance to play competitive basketball. I hope the community gets as excited for these games as I am."
Cougars coach Dave Rose and San Diego State's Steve Fisher will lead the teams, which will be put together via a draft-type format during the week of the games. More participants will be announced in the future.
Tickets for the SLC contest can be purchased at the Maverik Center box office, maverikcenter.com or (800) 745-300. Tickets for the Provo game can be obtained at the Marriott Center box office, byutickets.com or (801) 422-2981.
Brian T. Smith
Twitter: @tribjazz
facebook.com/tribjazz
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Press release:
MCLEAN, VA/PROVO, UT — August 22, 2011 — The frenzy that surrounded Jimmer Fredette as he packed arenas and brought basketball fans to their feet with his many heroic performances is returning to Utah for two special exhibition games in September.
Jimmer's All-Stars Presented by Zions Bank will consist of a two-game exhibition showcase on September 21st at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City and September 22nd at the Marriott Center in Provo. Tip-off for both games is 7:00 PM MT.
Headlined by Fredette, the game will feature several top NBA draftees. Fredette's team will be coached by Dave Rose of BYU while Steve Fisher of San Diego State will lead the opposing team. The remaining participants will be officially announced in the coming weeks and the teams will be chosen in a "draft style" format the week of the event.
Tickets for both games are on sale now at the respective venue's box offices, websites or by phone (Maverik Center- 3200 South Decker Lake Dr. West Valley City, Utah 84119; http://www.maverikcenter.com or 1-800-745-3000; Marriott Center-500 E. University Pkwy Provo, UT 84602; http://www.byutickets.com or 801-422-BYU1).
"I'm really looking forward to making my debut as a professional in front of the fans who have so passionately supported me during my time at BYU," said Jimmer. "This will be fun opportunity to bring some other NBA draftees to Utah for the chance to play competitive basketball. I hope the community gets as excited for these games as I am."
"Zions Bank is proud to become the presenting sponsor of Jimmer's All-Stars," said Rob Brough, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Zions Bank. "As Utah's oldest financial institution, we appreciate the positive impact Jimmer has had on the Utah community and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him back. These two games will make for a great night of basketball that any family will enjoy."
Jimmer's All-Stars Presented by Zions Bank is also supported by media partners KSL Radio and TV. In addition, KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM /1160 AM) will broadcast both games. Also, the event's Twitter handle (@JimmersAllStars) will be a resource for continual updates and information.