Jevohn Tyrone Shepherd has been recently promoted to Vice President of Basketball Operations, after serving as General Manager since November 23, 2020. In a seamless transition of leadership, Shepherd has gracefully passed the torch to James Derouin, who will now take on the mantle of General Manager starting January 15, 2024.

Former professional basketball player and long-time Canadian Men’s National Basketball team member, the sports analyst and real estate broker will lead the basketball operations for the Ottawa BlackJacks, who will enter their fourth season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in 2023.

Born in Toronto, Canada, April 8, 1986, Shepherd started playing basketball at the age of 10. His interest came from watching his uncle play. Shepherd attended West Hill Collegiate Institute and Don Valley Junior High School in Toronto. His early successes on the hardwood led him to a scholarship offer by the prestigious basketball program of the University of Michigan. During his four years at Michigan (2005-2009), Shepherd averaged 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds.

During his senior year with the Wolverines, the six-foot-six forward was named captain and helped his team to a 21-14 record, which tied a school record for the largest single-season turnaround in program history, as well as helping Michigan earn its first NCAA Tournament bid in 11 years, reaching the second round of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament. Shepherd obtained his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Shepherd played professionally for 11 years in some of the top FIBA leagues in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Romania. During the 2012-2013 season, playing for Municipal Bucuresti of the Romania Division A, Shepherd was named on the Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League second team as well as on the All-Imports team and received an honorable mention.

His best season as a pro came in 2011, when he averaged 20.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 27.9 minutes in 12 games for Osnabrueck in the Germany Pro A League. That season, Shepherd won several awards, including including the Eurobasket.com All-German 2 Bundesliga Pro A Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Import Player of the Year, First Team and All-Imports Team. In July 2011, he signed with Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden in the Dutch Basketball League and won the 2012 Dutch Cup. He was drafted by the Guelph Nighthawks in the second round of the 2019 CEBL Entry Draft but did not sign with the club.

Shepherd has represented Canada Basketball at various levels of competition. He first played with the Canadian University National Team at the 2005 World University Games and helped the same team to a surprise bronze medal in 2007 at the Games in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2010, he was called to the Senior Men’s National Team for the first time at the FIBA World Championship. He then represented the country on various occasions, playing 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.

In 2020, Shepherd retired from a notable professional basketball journey in Europe. He has been serving as a TV analyst for Canada Basketball on Sportsnet and for CBC Sports during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, in addition to calling Toronto Raptors games on TSN 1050. He has been part of the broadcast crew for the FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas and is a regular radio personality for Toronto Raptors and Raptors 905 games.

Shepherd made his debut in the CEBL during the 2020 CEBL Summer Series. Alongside Joe Raso, Shepherd handled analyst duties of games live from the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, and provided extensive studio analyst work for CBC Sports during the nationally television games. 

Son of Mitsy Shepherd, Jevohn has a son named Kai Shepherd.