Jeff Sheppard
{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{for|the American lawyer and Nixon Administration official|Geoff Shepard}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Jeff Sheppard
| team =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 189
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|9|29}}
| birth_place = Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
| highschool = McIntosh (Peachtree City, Georgia)
| college = Kentucky (1993–1998)
| draft_year = 1998
| career_start = 1998
| career_end = 2001
| career_number = 15
| career_position = Point guard / shooting guard
| years1 = {{nbay|1998|start}}–{{nbay|1998|end}}
| team1 = Atlanta Hawks
| years2 = 1999–2000
| team2 = Benetton Treviso
| years3 = 2000–2001
| team3 = Cordivari Roseto
| years4 = 2001
| team4 = Würth Roma
| highlights =
- NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1998)
- 2× NCAA champion (1996, 1998)
- Fourth-team Parade All-American (1993)
- Mr. Georgia Basketball (1992)
}}
Jeffrey Kyle Sheppard (born September 29, 1974) is an American retired professional and collegiate basketball player.
Biography
Born in Marietta, Georgia, Sheppard was Player of the Year in Georgia in 1993 at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City.
The {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m|adj=on}} University of Kentucky guard (1993–1998), was named Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament in San Antonio in 1998. He played on two national championship teams at the University of Kentucky under Rick Pitino in 1996 and under Tubby Smith in 1998.
The success of his college basketball career did not carry over to the professional level. He played briefly in the National Basketball Association with the Atlanta Hawks during the 1998-99 season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 18 games. He later played professionally in Italy with Benetton Treviso (1999–00) (won the Italian Cup), Cordivari Roseto (2000–01) and Würth Roma (2001). He played in the preseason games (but not in any regular season games) for the Toronto Raptors in 2000. He cited the September 11 terrorist attacks as being a factor in his decision to retire from basketball.{{Cite web|url=https://deadspin.com/how-a-career-ends-jeff-sheppard-kentuckys-great-dunki-5898122|title = How a Career Ends: Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky's Great Dunking Guard, Quit Because of 9/11}}
Sheppard has served as vice president for business development with Wazoo Sports, a regional television sports network concentrating on sports in Kentucky. In 2010, he was involved with a project to restore video and audio of Kentucky's 1958 national championship team.{{cite web |title=Jeff Sheppard makes Big Blue history once again |url=http://www.ukalumni.net/s/1052/index-no-right.aspx?sid=1052&gid=1&pgid=1845 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091308/http://www.ukalumni.net/s/1052/index-no-right.aspx?sid=1052&gid=1&pgid=1845 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=December 2, 2010 |work=Wildcat Connection |publisher=University of Kentucky Alumni Association}}
Personal life
Sheppard and his wife, Stacey (née Reed, herself a former Kentucky basketball player), have two children and live in London, Kentucky. They are involved with various community activities.
He is the father of current Houston Rockets player Reed Sheppard.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2967911/2021/11/20/reed-sheppard-follows-family-legacy-to-kentucky-its-in-his-blood/|title=Reed Sheppard follows family legacy to Kentucky: 'It's in his blood'|first=Kyle|last=Tucker|website=The Athletic|date=November 20, 2021|access-date=March 20, 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Basketballstats |nba= 1852 |bbr= s/sheppje01 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051101224332/http://www.mpcpromotions.com/15inc/about.html About Jeff Sheppard] @ mpcpromotions.com
- [http://www.ibiblio.org/craig/draft/1998_draft/Players/sheppard.htm University of Kentucky stats] @ ibiblio.org
{{1996 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball navbox}}
{{1998 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball navbox}}
{{NCAA basketball tournament MOP men}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheppard, Jeff}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Atlanta Hawks players
Category:Basketball players from Atlanta
Category:Basketball players from Marietta, Georgia
Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players
Category:Pallacanestro Treviso players
Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Category:People from London, Kentucky
Category:Sportspeople from Peachtree City, Georgia
Category:Roseto Sharks players
Category:Sportspeople from Fayette County, Georgia