The San Antonio Spurs are in a slow but rebuilding phase. The last two NBA Rookie of the Year winners, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, are from the Spurs. They now have two hot prospects from the 2025 NBA draft, second pick Dylan Harper and 14th pick Carter Bryant.
Although the Spurs have not seen the postseason for some time, they once were the juggernauts of the NBA. During the early 21st century, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and others invoked fear on opponents. Moreover, they were led by skipper Gregg Popovich, who stepped down after the 2024-2025 season.
Carter Bryant Shares Awe-Struck Moment With Spurs Legends Before Rookie Season
Although Bryant is not expected to have a starring role in the upcoming season, he could certainly show off his skills in the California Classic, as Harper will miss three games due to a groin injury.
Popovich is still involved with the franchise as the president of basketball operations. Meanwhile, Ginóbili and Duncan are the special advisor to basketball operations and special assistant to the coaching staff, respectively.
Bryant recently spoke to the media before the Summer League and shared his feelings when he saw the legends in person. “Everything happened so fast. Um, I think the thing that really put me in a whirlwind is when I mean, I walked into a breakfast. Manu was there. Um, and then I saw Timmy D, and I saw Coach Papovich,” Bryant said.
“So I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Like that’s my whole childhood just standing right in front of me. Like these dudes know my name. Like they’re greeting me, telling me I’m a hell of a player. All these things. It’s like, like, this is crazy. Like this is my childhood right in front of me,” he added.
Papovich won the NBA title with Duncan and Ginóbili four times (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014). They also won one in 1999 without Ginóbili. All three are in the NBA Hall of Fame, with Papovich being the latest inductee in 2023. Duncan entered in 2020, and Ginóbili entered in 2022.
Bryant Believes the Rookies Can Learn From Castle
The Spurs selected Castle as the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA draft, and he repaid the favor by winning the Rookie of the Year honors. The 20-year-old guard had won the NCAA Division I Championship with the UConn Huskies in his freshman year. He was a five-star recruit in high school.
During the interaction with the media, Bryant was asked about how Castle has helped him and other rookies.” I mean, I think the biggest thing is it’s within arm’s reach. That’s the thing, like, walking in every day and seeing how he carries himself, seeing how he approaches everything mentally and physically. I think that’s something that I could definitely take. Me and Dylan especially can take into something every day,” Bryant said.
Since the Spurs have won the Rookie of the Year award in the last two seasons (Wembanyama and Castle), Bryant said that they intend to keep the streak going.
Bryant has known Castle for almost three years, as they share the same agency and train in the same gym. The Rookie shared that Castle has always been like an older brother to him, providing valuable information even during his high school days.
