Sam Shepherd (basketball)

Sam Shepherd (born 21 April 1953), also known as El Mago, is a Venezuelan former basketball player who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.[1]

Basketball career

He attended Delaware State University, and played basketball for the Hornets, as a member of which he toured with the league all-star team in Venezuela. He graduated in 1975, and after unsuccessful tryouts for NBA, CBA, and ABA teams, decided go to Venezuela at 1974 and play at the Liga Especial de Basket, also, he play at the colombian basketball team Loteria de Cucuta from 1978 to 1982, where win three national championships (betwen 1978 and 1982) and play a Sudamerican Clubs Championship at 1981. Shepherd play in Venezuela from 1974 to 1992.[2] There, he played on various teams in the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto, including Trotamundos de Carabobo, Panteras de Miranda, and Guaiqueríes de Margarita.[3] His rise to fame there earned him the nickname "El Mago". In order to qualify to join the Venezuelan national basketball team, he naturalised as a Venezuelan citizen in 1986 and gave up his U.S. citizenship.[2] He represented his new country at the Copa Sprite in 1990, and later led the national team to a silver medal at the 1992 Tournament of the Americas.[4][5]

Personal life

He born and grew up at La Grange, North Carolina. He has a daughter Gwendolyn, who attended Temple University in Philadelphia,[2] and a son Sam Jr., born in 1991, who inherited his father's love of basketball and won the Centralamerican University Games

References

  1. ↑ "Sam Shepherd bio, stats, and results". Sports Reference. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Pucin, Diane (1992-07-03). "Venezuelans Bring Some Of Their Own Magic To The Fray". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-12-13. 4
  3. ↑ "Greivis compartió con Sam Shepherd y The Wailers". Lider en Deportes. 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  4. ↑ Araujo, Fernando (1990-09-13). "Comienza la Copa Sprite". Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  5. ↑ Richardson, Steve (1992-07-05). "Former American leads Venezuela against U.S." The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
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