Reed Sheppard hosts first camp, proud to use NIL "the right way"

Reed Sheppard grew up going to youth basketball camps. Now, he has hosted his own, bringing his Players First Satellite ProCamp to Georgetown on Thursday.

It was the future Kentucky guard’s first camp of his young basketball career, made possible through name, image and likeness. Sheppard will be the first to admit it’s a surreal experience.

“It’s crazy, really unbelievable to think about,” Sheppard said Thursday. “When I was a kid, I’d come to camps all the time. You don’t really think about that as a kid, little kids coming to camp when you get older. It’s really cool and it’s kind of hard to take it all in because everyone here came to your camp. They’re all saying ‘Reed!’ and everything. It’s really cool to be a part of and to see them all having fun, I love being here.”

Sheppard remembers attending several of his dad’s basketball camps as a kid, where several former Kentucky players came around to help over the years. Among them? Jarrod Polson and Josh Harrellson.

“My dad used to do these camps and he’d bring players with him,” he said. “One that I liked a lot was Jarrod Polson, he was always really good. He’d stay at the house with us while he was doing the camps, that kind of stuff. Josh Harrellson, he’d also come to the house and stay the night. He was always fun to hang around, he’d always pick on me. Those two were really fun to be around, for sure.”

Now he’s hosting his own, with this event in particular set up by ProCamps, who has partnered with the majority of current Kentucky basketball players this offseason for their own individual camps across the state. It was the company’s first partnership, though, with a future Wildcat.

He’s happy he was able to be the first, doing things the right way with NIL as a soon-to-be senior at North Laurel.

“It’s really cool. It’s a neat opportunity, for sure,” Sheppard told KSR. “To be able to do it the right way is big. Being able to do it with 100 kids, give back to the kids that all look up to you and spend time with them, have fun with them. You make them laugh, they make you laugh, so it’s just really fun being around them and having a good time.”

Sheppard also teamed up with White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics, the standout recruit’s go-to NIL partner, for his camp in Georgetown. He filmed several different commercials and advertisements with the company leading up to his college commitment, and continues to work with them as he inches closer to his career in Lexington.

“White, Greer & Maggard has been great to me about doing all of the commercials and campaigns for their company,” he said. “Those have been fun, too, you know? I’m a kid who likes to joke around and have fun. That’s what I’ve been able to do in all those videos, just joke around and be myself. It’s been a lot of fun.”

The future Wildcat handled his first camp well, but that doesn’t mean the business side of things isn’t a bit overwhelming with NIL. He’s grateful to have a strong support system around him to help figure things out along the way — even if they may need help at times, too.

“It’s a lot. I’m lucky enough, thankful to have my family around me, have some people around to help my mom and dad out to take care of it all,” Sheppard said. “I don’t know much about it, I’m just 18. But having them around to help me through all of this has been a blessing.”

Luckily for Sheppard, this is the first of many major NIL opportunities to come as a future Wildcat. Considering his talent and popularity, the North Laurel star is just getting started.