After former Kentucky guard Reed Shepard was selected third overall by the Rockets, the newly drafted player and his girlfriend, Braley Disney, were quick to show their support for his new NBA home on Wednesday.
In photos shared on social media, the couple, who have been together for more than three years, are seen wearing matching Rockets hats following the 2024 NBA Draft celebration at Barclays Center.
Disney was joined by Shepard and his family for the big night, which also happened to be his mother, Stacey’s birthday.
The group congratulated Stacey, a former member of the Kentucky women’s basketball team, by singing “Happy Birthday” before she blew out the candles on her cupcakes.
Shortly after the celebration, the 20-year-old Shepard had his name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“I’m very excited,” Sheppard said. According to the Associated Press“Houston is a really good team. They have a really good coach. Jalen [Green]”They have a lot of really young, athletic players, so we can play at a fast pace and it’s going to be fun.”
Led by head coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets finished the 2023-24 season with a 41-41 record and missed the playoffs.
After one season at Kentucky, Shepard is ready to soak it all up at the next level.
“The biggest thing is just go and learn,” Sheppard said. “They have a guy like Fred VanVleet that I can learn from. Just go in with an open mind, ready to learn, do whatever it takes to win and compete.”
Shepard, who was named the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year, averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists. The 6-foot-2 guard was also named to the All-SEC Second Team.
“Reed was the best player in the draft by a significant margin, the best prospect we thought he was, and the only one we were really looking at,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “So if he hadn’t come to us, we probably would have traded lower or gone undrafted. When we had the opportunity to select him, we jumped on it.”
