Olympian Profile: Steve Sheppard

Steve Sheppard

Sport/Country: Men's Basketball - United States
Olympic Games: 1976 Montreal

Steve Sheppard – nicknamed "The Bear" – became Maryland basketball's first Olympic gold medalist while representing the United States at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Coached by Hall of Famer Dean Smith, Sheppard and Team USA went 7-0 in competition and defeated Yugoslavia, 95-74, to win gold.

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward was a force for Maryland men's basketball from 1974-77. Despite sitting out his freshman season, he became an immediate starter under Hall of Fame head coach Lefty Driesell the following season. That same season, in 1975, Maryland went 24-5 and earned an ACC regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Sheppard scored 1219 points and grabbed 582 rebounds in 76 games during his collegiate career. Those career marks rank No. 36 and No. 36 in program history, respectively. He averaged a career-best 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds as a junior. Sheppard posted career averages of 16 points, ranking 17th all-time, and 7.7 rebounds, ranking tied for 16th all-time.

The Chicago Bulls drafted Sheppard as the eighth pick in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft. He played three seasons in the NBA with the Bulls and Detroit Pistons, scoring 367 points and grabbing 178 rebounds. The Bear continued his professional career overseas, playing another three seasons in Rome, Santo Domingo, and Uruguay.

Sheppard was one of four Terps invited to the 1976 Olympic Trials to make the team's final roster. The other three invitees were John Lucas, Brad Davis, and Maurice Howard. In a preview of international play, he led his Maryland team to a victory over the Soviet Union by scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Print Friendly Version

#Olympics