Reed Sheppard

Reed Sheppard's Biography

Isaiah Reed Sheppard, born on 24th June 2004, is a professional basketball player hailing from the United States. He currently is a significant part of the Houston Rockets, a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He embarked on his journey in the high-intensity, thrilling world of basketball in college when he played for the Kentucky Wildcats.

As a four-star recruit, Sheppard’s skills and talents, coupled with his passion for the game, made him one of the highest-rated players in the 2023 class. His exceptional performance led to his selection by the Houston Rockets as the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Sheppard hails from London, Kentucky, and is a proud alumnus of North Laurel High School. As an ardent basketball player, his skill earned him a place as a starting shooting guard for North Laurel, even as a freshman, averaging 20.6 points per game. His persistence and avid love for the game saw him leading the entire Kentucky state in scoring during his sophomore season, with an average of 30.1 points for each of the 28 games he played.

His junior year saw him receiving the prestigious title of the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year, after averaging 25.5 points, 7.6 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.4 steals per game. By the closing of his senior year, Sheppard had been selected to participate in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game. His impressive averages of 22.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.4 rebounds per game earned him the title of Kentucky ‘Mr. Basketball’. His total points, assists, and rebounds during his high-school career were 3,727, 1,214, and 1,050 respectively.

Sheppard’s performance on the court earned him a place among the top 50 prospects of the class of 2023. He chose to commit to playing college basketball for Kentucky on 20th November 2021, despite receiving offers from Louisville and Virginia.

In June 2023, Sheppard commenced his studies at the University of Kentucky, shortly after his high school graduation. Following in his father’s footsteps, he chose the jersey number 15. He played in the GLOBL JAM tournament in Canada for the Wildcats before starting his freshman year. Over the four games in the tournament, he averaged 8.5 points, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, contributing to the undefeated victory of his team.

His stellar performance earned him the title of SEC Freshman of the Year by conference coaches. At the end of the NCAA season, Sheppard received national freshman of the year honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. On April 18, 2024, he declared his intention to participate in the 2024 NBA draft, thus forgoing any remaining college eligibility.

Upon selection by the Houston Rockets in the NBA draft, Sheppard signed a rookie-scale contract with the team on 3rd July 2024. He made his NBA debut against the Charlotte Hornets on October 23, 2024, scoring 4 points, despite the team’s loss.

Isaiah’s family contributed greatly to his passion for basketball. His father, Jeff Sheppard, was an accomplished basketball player, having played for Kentucky and being named Most Outstanding Player of the 1998 NCAA tournament. He also played 18 games in the 1998–99 NBA season for the Atlanta Hawks. His mother Stacey Reed, too, was a basketball player at Kentucky, scoring over 1,400 career points. His older sister, Madison Sheppard, has also dipped her toes into the world of college basketball, having played for Campbellsville University.