Jamal Shead Explains Reason Behind His Raptors Jersey Change

Point guard Jamal Shead will have a new number on his back when the Toronto Raptors open the regular season, and the story behind it goes back to his college days at Houston.

Shead wore No. 1 for four seasons there, where he was named a first-team All-American and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, but that number already belonged to guard Gradey Dick when Toronto took Shead 45th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, so he settled for No. 23.

Once Dick went to the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason trade that brought forward Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto, Shead knew he wanted his old number back, and he explained why in a recent interview about the switch with the Toronto Star.

"Just trying to get my confidence back of being a guy, I guess," Shead said.

He said the number holds a lot of memories for him while No. 23 had more to do with his childhood, and in the end it is simply his number and he is really glad to have it back.

Shead also joked that he never thought about paying Dick for it, since he was a rookie on a three-year, $6.11 million deal at the time and did not have the money to offer him.

Forward Collin Murray-Boyles also has a new number this season, as he moved from No. 12 to No. 30, which is tied to his older brother.

I think the confidence line is the most important thing Shead said, because his game is built on it.

Toronto signed him to a three-year, $24 million extension that runs through the 2029-30 season, and he earned it by playing all 82 games last season while leading the league in assists off the bench.

He also averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 assists in the seven-game first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

His shot still needs the most work, as Shead had four points, four assists, two steals and two blocks against the Knicks on Thursday but made just one of his six shots.

He sat out Friday's 129-125 loss in Detroit along with the rest of the main rotation, as the Raptors wrapped up the preseason at 2-3.

A team that drew plenty of praise from rival general managers needs its backup point guard to feel like a real part of the plan, and a guard who believes in himself is more likely to take open shots without thinking twice.

Toronto opens the season by hosting the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena, and the rotation around Shead already has a clear shape.

Leonard, forward Scottie Barnes and Murray-Boyles already look like a strong two-way trio, and Shead's defense and passing should fit right next to them when he comes off the bench.

Shead's job on a team under this much pressure is to back up the stars, and I like that he is starting his third season in the number that made him feel like himself, because a confident Shead makes the Toronto bench a lot harder to play against.