NEW BLACKJACKS GM SPENT 11 YEARS ON HARDCOURTS ACROSS EUROPE
Jevohn Shepherd's love for a sport where the kings have names like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James began on the basketball courts of Toronto.
At first, he'd stand off to the side — at places like the Falstaff Community Centre, Oriole Rec Centre and Malvern Rec Centre, and watch. Shepherd, who grew up in Scarborough, patiently waited his turn. When the Toronto Raptors joined the NBA in 1995; Shepherd was nine years old. He was entranced watching guys like Damon Stoudamire — they became legends to him. And his love for basketball was ratcheted up even more in 1998 when Vince Carter joined the Raptors. He was hooked. An NBA franchise in Toronto made it seem real.
“I was the little kid on the side wanting to play with the big boys,” said Shepherd, who was named the new general manager of the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Ottawa BlackJacks Monday. “Eventually when they needed somebody to fill in, I was that guy. That shaped me, it helped me form a love for the game. When Vince came into the league, he was dunking, he was electrifying. We went to the basketball courts and we all wanted to be like Vince Carter.”
The 6-foot-5 Shepherd would leave his mark wherever he went. First, it was West Hill Collegiate, then the University of Michigan. After a season with the Premier Basketball League's Halifax Rainmen, he'd play professionally in Europe for 11 years — bouncing around Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Romania. Shepherd has also represented Canada Basketball at various levels. He first played with the Canadian team at the 2005 World University Games. In 2010, he was called to the senior national team for the first time at the FIBA World Championship. He played more than 60 games in the red and white uniform, including at the 2013 FIBA Americas and 2018 FIBA World Qualifiers, helping Canada advance to the 2019 FIBA World Championships.
He was selected by the Guelph Nighthawks in the second round of the 2019 CEBL Draft, but didn't sign. On Saturday night, Shepherd got a call from BlackJacks president Michael Cvitkovic offering him the job of general manager.
Carleton Ravens coach Dave Smart was the GM last year, but stepped away following a condensed CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines. Smart is director of basketball operations at Carleton and a consultant with the Ottawa Senators.
Osvaldo Jeanty, who coached the team to a 4-4 Summer Series record, has also stepped away.
The 34-year-old Shepherd had a good opportunity to watch the Black Jacks during the Summer Series — he was an analyst for CBC Sports, covering the games.
“I had a chance to lock in and evaluate the teams as well as talk about them,” said Shepherd. “There were some whispers about some changes around the league. This opportunity presented itself and I went through the process.”
Shepherd talked about the “deep culture” of basketball in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. A strength of his, he said, is communication, bringing people together. That will allow him to have a big hand in assembling the 2021 Black Jacks roster. He hopes to retain several of the players from last year's team — a roster constructed mostly of guys who had already played significant roles locally with the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees university basketball teams.
“The biggest thing is chemistry,” said Shepherd.
“If you can retain as many players as possible, you go for it. I'm not coming in looking to clean house, it was a talented club (last year). There are a number of guys from the Ottawa area who are really good players. Once things slow down a bit and we get a coaching staff in place, we can lock in and evaluate the current roster.”
Shepherd would like to have a new head coach in place by the end of next month or early January.
“You don't want to rush your decision,” he said. “There are a lot of people I'd like to have conversations with.”
Walking away from a playing career wasn't easy. It was something Shepherd had worked so hard at; yet, moving on seemed like the right thing to do, a way to push himself into a new challenge.
“At one end of the spectrum, it was difficult, it was hard to walk away from,” he said. “I'd done it for so long. But at the other end of the spectrum, when you're looking at stepping out and putting yourself in a position where you can help young guys achieve their goals and give back to the game and those doors are opening, you think, I'm not getting any younger. You start to weigh the variables — you can still stay connected to the game and it can still be fulfilling to be in a role like this; when you're in that position, it's not as difficult a decision to make.”
His experiences overseas — stepping into foreign countries and unfamiliar languages — were a positive in Shepherd's life.
“You get to experience different cultures, different people, different styles of basketball and it opens up your mind to the world — in both the sport and in life,” he said. “I was disappointed after my college career when I didn't end up going to the NBA. But, in hindsight, there was true wealth in the experiences and everything I learned over my professional career.”
Shepherd is confident the CEBL and its seven teams will be on the court for the 2021 season; the how, when and where are yet to be determined.
“My biggest hope is we can be at TD Place Arena and playing in front of our own fans, our own home base,” he said. “Guys will be on the court, we can trust that will happen. As far as a schedule right now, it's really hard to say because the world is adapting, and pivoting.”
Heading into the second year, the Black Jacks hope to make a good impression.
“There's a lot of potential,” said Shepherd. “There are a lot of basketball-driven people in Ottawa. I want it to be inclusive and community oriented. I'm in the general manager's position, I'll have to make some big decisions, but this team really is for the community.”