November 12, 2026 — During halftime of a recent game, Wheeler High School unveiled the third retired jersey number in the history of its basketball program. The man who received that honor, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, is a legend among Wildcats hoops fans and a player whose basketball bio is filled with some of the sport's highest achievements.
“Congratulations, Shareef, the number 33 will never be worn again in Wheeler Basketball history,” declared Wheeler Athletic Director Barry Bowdre during the ceremony.
Abdur-Rahim is probably best known for his 12-year NBA career. He was drafted third overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies, ahead of future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. He made an immediate impact with the expansion franchise in its second year of existence, winning the Sporting News Rookie of the Year and making the NBA All-Rookie Team. In 2000, he won a gold medal playing for USA Basketball in the Sydney Olympics. The following summer, the Grizzlies traded him to his hometown Atlanta Hawks, where he became an NBA All-Star. Over the course of his career with four NBA teams, he averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
While his professional career is noteworthy, the recognition of having his jersey retired by Wheeler has just as much to do with what he accomplished as a prep player with the Wildcats. That time, however, started humbly. In Abdur-Rahim’s freshman season, the team went 4-16. However, when Coach Doug Lipscomb took over the program, Abdur-Rahim flourished. As a junior, the Wildcats won the school’s first basketball state championship in 1994, and then returned to the title game in 1995, finishing as the runner-up. Abdur-Rahim was named Mr. Georgia Basketball, the state’s highest honor, by the Atlanta Tipoff Club in both seasons. He was named a McDonald’s High School All-American his senior year and took his talents to the University of California, Berkeley.
Abdur-Rahim credited his time at Wheeler with what he has accomplished.
“I don't think if you put me anywhere else in the world that it would work out for me the way it worked out,” the former All-Star said. “Being here was the key. When I was here, Wheeler was really known for football and baseball. No one expected much from a basketball standpoint. I mean, obviously, it was a great school, but there weren’t any expectations of becoming a good team and a good player. It was just fun.”
The Wheeler basketball team had only qualified for the state tournament once in nearly two decades before Abdur-Rahim arrived. Lifting the program to state prominence is one of the main reasons Coach Lipscomb believes the jersey retirement is warranted.
“He's well-deserving of any honor that he gets,” the retired coach said. “He was a very good leader for us. I’m proud to say that he was the cornerstone of building this program to be seen on a national level. He's changed the outlook of basketball in the state of Georgia and across the country.”
Abdur-Rahim's help in bringing the first state championship to Wheeler indeed changed the course of the program. The Wildcats have become a perennial title contender and have now won 11 state championships.
Now, the No. 33 jersey banner hangs across the court from those 11 championship banners. Abdur-Rahim’s jersey takes its place next to two other honorees who followed his path at Wheeler – Jaylen Brown and Isaiah Collier. Each of the three has won state titles with the Wildcats and made it to the NBA. For Abdur-Rahim, it is a recognition he never imagined.
“It’s special,” the Wheeler legend admitted. “I've been fortunate where I’ve achieved some things and been honored, but this wasn't really something that I thought would happen. But so much of what I've done started here. Between my parents and Coach, if not for the experience and the people that I met here at Wheeler, the foundation I had here at Wheeler, I don't even come close to accomplishing the things I did on the court.”
Abdur-Rahim only spent one season playing in college. He won the Pac-10 Player of the Year and the National Freshman of the Year while at Cal. Still, playing professionally didn’t prevent him from earning his bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the school. He followed that by receiving a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. These have led him into his current position as the President of the NBA G League, a developmental pipeline for the NBA. It’s a significant role, and another reason why the man is worthy of being held in high regard.
From his high school playing days to his professional career on the court and in the boardroom, Wheeler’s newest jersey honoree is evidence that Cobb Schools student-athletes are Built for Beyond.
