Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers moves past Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter during the first half of Thursday night’s game in Toronto, April 3, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Thomas Skrlj)
Shaedon Sharpe is finally getting the spotlight he deserves — and he’s lighting it up. The 21-year-old from London, Ontario, delivered a powerful performance Thursday night, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-103 win over the Toronto Raptors. Scoring 36 points, Sharpe not only tied his personal best but also set a new record for the most points scored by a Canadian against the Raptors.
The soft-spoken guard admitted he wasn’t aware of his achievement until a post-game interview clued him in.
“I didn’t know until they told me after the game,” said Sharpe from the locker room. “It’s kind of surreal. To do something like that back home, it means a lot.”
Coming into the game, Sharpe was already averaging 18 points, along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. But on Thursday, he took things to another level — finishing with six rebounds and five assists on top of his 36-point explosion. His game wasn’t just about scoring; it was about control, movement, and smart decisions.
Portland currently sits just behind the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference standings, and Sharpe’s performance could be the push the team needs to stay in the play-in race. He says he came into the game well-prepared.
“Watching film really helped,” he explained. “I was able to pick my spots, drive hard, and when the defence collapsed, I made the right passes.”
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been encouraging Sharpe to stay aggressive all season long.
“I keep telling him — be on the attack,” said Billups before the game. “He’s starting to understand how teams defend him. He’s learning fast.”
Toronto’s coach Darko Rajakovic admitted Sharpe’s energy was hard to stop.
“He kept driving, and our defence didn’t step up in time,” said Rajakovic. “He had too many open lanes. We’ll have to go back and study the footage.”
Sharpe credits Billups, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, for guiding his development.
“It means a lot when your coach believes in you,” Sharpe said. “I just want to play hard and help the team however I can.”
This season marks a major step forward for Sharpe. Drafted seventh overall in 2022, he had a quiet rookie season, averaging under 10 points per game. His second year was disrupted by injury, but he still managed to bump his average up to 15.9 points.
Now fully healthy and with two seasons of experience behind him, Sharpe is playing with purpose.
“He’s growing fast,” Billups said. “He wants to be out there every night. That hunger is showing now. He’s playing the best basketball of his career.”
With performances like Thursday’s, Shaedon Sharpe is no longer just a young prospect. He’s quickly becoming a name to watch in the NBA — and a proud moment for Canadian basketball.
