"The biggest blessing and opportunity that you can ask for as a parent for your kid," Elvin Shead, Jamal's father, told ABC13. "We're just excited."
Of all the mementos and memories that help tell the story of Jamal's journey from an undersized, under-recruited point guard out of Manor High School to a soon-to-be NBA player, one accomplishment resonates most with his mom.
"The degree is what mattered to me," Lysa Shead admitted when talking about Jamal earning his degree from the University of Houston. "That's what we were shooting for. So, to have all this extra - that's a plus."
And there's plenty of extra.
Jamal Shead left UH with the second-most victories, 120, in program history. In his final season with the Coogs, he was voted First-Team All-America and the National Defensive Player of the Year. But despite Jamal's long list of accomplishments, a long list of other point guards are considered better NBA prospects than him.
"He's always been the underdog," Lysa noted about her son. "Just go prove them wrong. You are where you're supposed to be - that's what I tell him."
And she can tell him often. Lysa says she's talked to Jamal every day of this NBA Draft process - even as he's traveled the country and Canada working out for teams. And when they're not talking on the phone, the family keeps up via group text.
"I have one of the best support systems anybody can ask for," Jamal shared when speaking about his family. "These are people that really rallied behind me through everything, so it's been awesome sharing this moment with them."
Because the family has shared nearly every step of this journey together. Elvin was Jamal's coach from an early age - in football and basketball. And even when it was time for older brother Jaylen or older sister Autumn to play, Jamal would manage to find his way onto the court.
"We would be at a tournament with his brother or sister, and he didn't have a team," Elvin recalled about Jamal at a young age. "So he'd see teams that featured kids his age, he'd have his basketball and ask the coach if they needed one. And some of the coaches would say yes, so we'd look for him and he'd be on the court playing with some random team."
Years later, Jamal Shead has again been trying to appeal to so-called random teams - this time at the NBA level. He's hoping they ask him to join their squad. But Lysa and Elvin's son doesn't have to be a draft pick to satisfy his parents.
"We just tell him how proud we are," Lysa said of Jamal. "It doesn't matter what number, just we are really proud to be here."
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