“Best friend vs Best friend”: College hoops fans rejoice as former Kentucky stars Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham face off in NBA

Former Kentucky basketball stars Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham faced off against each other during an NBA Summer League game on Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The two played in their first matchup in the pro ranks as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Houston Rockets, 93-83.

Dillingham had a solid outing, recording 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds for Minnesota. Sheppard, on the other hand, also had an impactful performance with 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, but it was not enough to turn the game in Houston's favor.

The Timberwolves posted a picture of the two from the game on Instagram. They also tagged the Wildcats and Rockets accounts and wrote a caption that read:

"Kentucky Boys."

The post has amassed over 30 thousand likes and almost 100 comments from fans who were excited about their reunion.

"Best friend vs Best friend." one fan commented.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @tammynguyen1451)

Some fans noticed that both Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham even had the same pose.

"Same leg moves," a fan wrote.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @taylalenz)

"Why they got the same leg structure," another one wrote.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @diesel._j)

Here are some more reactions to the post:

"Never seen 2 teams post together on social media & tag each other," one user commented.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @_lukecunningham)

"They have on the same shoes!" another fan mentioned.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @tammynguyen1451)

"the future!! so excited," one fan said.

A fan commented on the post (IG: @virevenant)

Looking back at Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham's time at Kentucky

Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham arrived at Lexington in 2023 to play under legendary college basketball coach John Calipari. They were expected to be focal points of the team on both ends of the floor, with both being high sought-after recruits.

Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in 32 games, while Dillingham recorded 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 33 outings. Still, they could not lead Kentucky to any silverware, as they finished second in the SEC standings, lost to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament, and were surprisingly eliminated by Oakland in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

They both declared for the NBA draft in April. Sheppard was selected third overall by the Houston Rockets and Rob Dillingham was the eighth pick by the San Antonio Spurs before he was traded to the Timberwolves on draft night.