In the summer of 2022, Reed Sheppard, Bronny James and Rob Dillingham played in the AAU Tournament. While James and Dillingham played for the Strive for Greatness, Sheppard led the Midwest Basketball Club.
During an appearance on Shams Charania’s show, “Inside the Association,” Sheppard reminisced on the game.
“The game was a lot of fun,” Sheppard said. “We had our same team the whole year (and) that was our last tournament, our last AAU tournament ever. Not a bad way to end it. So going out, it was exciting. We knew they put together the team with Bronny and Rob, like you said and all the other really good players that they had on the team.
“But going out, we wanted the win. … That was the best we played all year and it was so much fun, just the crowd was into it, everyone was into it. So it was a really fun way to end it with a really special group of guys that we had on our team.” (Timestamp: 02:10)
Sheppard’s Midwest basketball won the game. It was also the guard’s breakout night as he had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Reed Sheppard shares John Calipari’s advice that helped shape his mindset about basketball
Reed Sheppard committed to play for the Kentucky Wildcats while still a junior in high school. At the time, former Wildcats coach John Calipari gave him valuable advice that has since become his mindset about playing. Sheppard shared it during an appearance on Paul George’s podcast.
“He was like, ‘Enjoy. It’s the last time you’re playing with your guys. You’re playing in high school.’ He was like, ‘After this basketball becomes a job. It’s not just something you do for fun.’ So he said, ‘Make sure you have fun and just enjoy the whole thing.’ So having that mindset this year, I think, really did help me,” Sheppard said.
Having fun and enjoying the process has helped Sheppard, as he averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. He also played exceptionally well at the NBA Combine in Chicago earlier this month. The guard had the highest vertical leap (42-inch).
Reed Sheppard is a predicted No. 3 pick as most mock drafts put him in the top 5. The 2024 NBA draft will be held on June 26-27 and broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App.
What do you think are Reed Sheppard’s prospects in the NBA? Let us know in the comment section below.
