Reed Sheppard Thankful to see Dream Come True at NBA Draft

Just over a year ago, Reed Sheppard was turning heads on the hardwood in the 13th Region while wearing a North Laurel Jaguars jersey. This summer he will be donning a Houston Rockets jersey in the NBA Summer League after he was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

When John Calipari successfully recruited the legacy recruit, many thought a lengthy tenure at Kentucky was in store for the younger Sheppard. He shocked everyone, himself included, by becoming college basketball’s Freshman of the Year. On Wednesday he was the first college basketball player selected in the NBA Draft. Remarkable.

“It was unbelievable. It was a dream come true. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming of since I’ve been a little kid,” Sheppard said in his post-draft press conference.

“Having my family with me at the table, my coach, my agent, having my family in the crowd, I couldn’t ask for anything else. It was my mom’s birthday today, so that’s an awesome thing to celebrate as well.”

He added, “I’m at a loss for words. I’m super happy to be here and super thankful.”

Reed Sheppard Ready to Learn in Houston

Sheppard can serve as the final piece of s significant rebuild in Houston. The Rockets have used multiple top five picks to get younger, selecting Jabari Smith and Jalen Green over the last two drafts. They also seemingly struck gold with Alperen Sengun, a 6-foot-11 Turkish center who averaged better than 21 points per game during his second season in the NBA.

Even though he’s a top selection in the NBA Draft, the former Kentucky Wildcat will not be thrown into the fire immediately. Sheppard has a veteran point guard, Fred VanVleet, to lean on early in his career.

“I think the biggest thing is just going in and learning. You have guys like Fred VanVleet that I’ll be able to learn from. Just going in with an open mind, ready to learn, ready to do whatever it takes to win. Just compete and go in and have fun and continue to get in the gym and work on everything that I need to work on,” said Sheppard.

“I’m super excited. I can’t wait to get to Houston and get the thing started.”

There’s another additional benefit to playing professional sports in the state of Texas. He won’t have to pay any state income taxes while raking in $10.1 million next season. “That is pretty good that that’s a thing,” Sheppard said.