Thomas "Shep" Sheppard

Thomas "Shep" Sheppard is the deuteragonist of the 1994 American basketball drama film Above the Rim. He is a security guard at Kyle's school, and a former basketball star, who quit on the game after an accident which resulted in the death of his best friend Nusto. He is the older brother of the local drug dealer of the neighborhood, Birdie, who wants him to join his criminal empire. He is portrayed by American actor and singer Leon Robinson.

Biography
Shep was once a talent basketball player in high school in Brooklyn, where he played on his team with his best friend Nutso and Flip Johnson. One night while basketball with Nutso on the top a high rise building, Shep beat Nutso in a game. Then Shep dared Nutso to do a jump and hit the backboard of the basketball hoop, although Nutso was reluctant Shep convinced to do it anyway. However after Nutso hit the backboard, it broke and Nutso fell off the building to his death. As a result, Shep was arrested and quit playing basketball, feeling guilty for causing the death of his best friend. He later moved to Florida until his mother died and he moved back to Brooklyn to buried and then he took a job as security guard for a local high school, Monarch High. One night during a basketball game at Monarch High, Shep watched as the school's team, the Panthers, play against their rivals, the Tigers, in which he was spotted by his younger brother, Birdie, the neighborhood drug dealer. After the Panthers lost the game, a woman named Mailika Watson came into the gym the gym to talk her son Kyle who plays for the team, Shep tells her that the game's over, but he gets off on the wrong foot with her. After his partner Monroe come along, he explains that Shep is new to Mailika, and she gives him to give to Kyle. Shep and Monroe then get ready to close the lockers, when two players for the team, Kyle and his friend Bobby, come out and Monroe introduces them to Shep.