It sounds like Stephon Castle is looking forward to joining the San Antonio Spurs. The 2024 No. 4 pick spoke highly about future teammate Victor Wembanyama and the opportunity to play alongside him during his first press conference with the franchise. “Just the thought of playing with him, of course it circulates in your mind, but it really doesn’t feel real until it becomes reality,” Castle told reporters. “So I mean, just to know that that’s going to be my future teammate now, I’m just really excited for what our future looks like.” He noted that he looks forward to the chemistry he could develop with the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year, bringing up his connection with former UConn teammate Donovan Clingan in the process. “It was fun throwing lobs to DC,” Castle said, “so I can only imagine what [throwing them to Wembanyama] will be like.”
The praise was not just limited to Wembanyama. Castle also spoke highly about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and said he looked forward to how much he can grow under the legendary coach, describing the situation as a “perfect fit.” “Just the thought of playing for Coach Pop, it really doesn’t feel real,” Castle said. “Just coming from probably the best college basketball coach to now going to Coach Pop, a legendary coach like that, I feel like it’s the perfect situation.”
Castle’s one season at UConn was as successful as it can get. The Huskies went 37-3 and won the National Championship. Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 34 games for the Huskies and was named to the All-NCAA Tournament Team, Big East All-Freshman and also took home the Big East Rookie of the Year Award. He joins a Spurs franchise that has a rich history, with five NBA Championships to show. However, this iteration of the Spurs has been a bit lackluster. San Antonio has missed five consecutive postseason, which is the longest drought in NBA history. It just completed a second consecutive 22-60 season, and the road ahead looks bumpy. However, Popovich’s experience, Wembanyama’s talent and Castle’s addition should help San Antonio take a step forward in 2024-25 and beyond.
