Reed Sheppard's mom beams with delight as family greets her with heartwarming birthday at NBA draft
The NBA Draft is a celebration of the best basketball prospects in the world, but Reed Sheppard changed it up a little bit and celebrated his mom's birthday. The six-foot-three guard went No. 3 to the Houston Rockets, but after his recent gesture, he's the No. 1 pick in a lot of people's hearts.
Sheppard decided to celebrate his mom's birthday before the big event started, and the NBA's official Instagram account shared the touching moment with the rest of the world.
"It's an awesome day just being here with him. It just being my birthday, just another day, but this day is incredible," Stacey Sheppard said.
"It's a dream come true being here, and it falling on my mom's birthday is perfect, so it's gonna be a great night," Reed Sheppard said.
Curiously, the player turned 20 on Monday, two days before his mother and the biggest night of his life. Stacey Sheppard was a basketball player at Kentucky who scored over 1,400 points during her career. Her husband, Jeff Sheppard, also played at Kentucky before joining the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA.
Basketball runs through the Sheppard family's veins, as Reed's older sister, Madison, also played basketball at a collegiate level.
Reed Sheppard, like many other prospects, was invited to the Green Room for this event. He's been very active in the days prior to the draft, even throwing the first pitch at a New York Mets game at Citi Field on Tuesday.
His mom was with him again, wearing the Mets' City Connect uniform to support her kid.
What is Reed Sheppard's NBA comparison?
Reed Sheppard showed he could be a solid player in the NBA during his lone season with the Kentucky Wildcats. He is a solid shooter who has excellent playmaking skills and is a good defender.
Some say he's similar to Fred VanVleet, who is set to become his teammate and mentor on the Houston Rockets.
After averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game with the Wildcats, he's ready to take his talents to his NBA team and take on a bigger challenge.