Sheppard dazzled in the Rising Stars Tournament, hitting clutch threes and delivering game-changing plays before a narrow final loss.
All-Star Weekend 2026 officially tipped off on Friday night. We started in typical fashion with the celebrity game as a warmup, followed by the actual NBA action.
Through all of the different names and iterations to this game, the competition between rookies and sophomores has always been underrated to me. It’s a great time to see some of the league’s young players expanding their roles in ways you’d usually never see.
From big men launching threes to small guards getting some unexpected dunks, it can be great fun. This time the excitement surprisingly came from the competitive nature of the night as well.
Rockets’ second year guard Reed Sheppard got things started in the first game of the tournament. He played a significant role in that opening, draining all three of his long balls. With his team being down four points, his back to back triples helped give them the lead. A lead they’d fight to keep, earning their way to the finals.
The next game saw VJ Edgecombe take control in a similar fashion, draining back to back threes to extend the lead before a mid-range game winner to bring his team to a matchup in the final game.
With a target score of 25, the final game was back and forth to the end. Reed had multiple defensive stops, one leading to a transition assist to Jeremiah Fears. My favorite highlight of the night was definitely when he yanked Carter Bryant out of his gym socks for a clutch three.
Unfortunately, Team Melo’s effort and Sheppard’s 3/6 night from deep wasn’t enough to get the win. VJ Edgecombe’s free throws earned him MVP as they gave Team Vince the 25-24 win.