The San Antonio Spurs are one of the hottest tickets in town with a roster that includes the 2023 No. 1 overall pick in 7’3 center Victor Wembanya and a seasoned point guard in Chris Paul. San Antonio’s roster has a balance of youth and one of their brightest talents on their roster is their rookie, Stephon Castle.
The Spurs’ fourth overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, Castle went from playing 34 games last season at UCONN to adjusting to an 82 game regular season NBA schedule as a Spur. Now tasked with guarding top talent like the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or the Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden, you’d think that would be his biggest adjustment, right?
SIKE! Think again!
“Probably the biggest one has probably been the weather,” Castle shared jokingly with ScoopB.com.
“It’s super hot out here compared to Connecticut at least. Connecticut was really cold and over here it’s been hot day in and day out… it’s STILL hot out here right now! But that’s one of the biggest things. I haven’t been able to wear jackets as much as I do, but that’s probably been one of my biggest adjustments so far.”
While weather may be an adjustment, Castle acknowledges that acquiring discipline through time management early in his high school and collegiate career has allowed him to be successful at the next level as a professional on the NBA level. “Especially with routines,” he shared.
“I feel like that’s a big part of the NBA, just having your own routine that’s set for you whether if you’re working on your body or getting extra reps up in the gym. So now that I have a whole lot more of free time with that, I was able to stay true to my routine day in and day out.”
In between the hard work, hustle and bustle of his first NBA season, Castle shares that music keeps him in rhythm. He’s got a playlist lined up. “I’ve been listening to a lot of NBA Youngboy,” he said.
“A lot of Lil’ Baby, a lot of Future… really all the Atlanta rappers for real.”
Stephon Castle, Chris Paul & Victor Wembanyama Are Must SEE In San Antonio
Castle and the Spurs have a marquee matchup tonight as they’ll host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Castle who had arguably the best game of his young career on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers will be ready.
For those keeping score at home: The rising guard shot 7-of-12 for 22 points to go along with five assists and two rebounds in the eventual 120-115 loss to LA. Despite the loss, Castle’s style of play caught the attention of LeBron James. LBJ spoke glowing of the 20-year old and stated: “He’s going to be special. He’s going to be special, man.”
That’s high praise from the king! Castle’s in it for the long haul and that’s seemingly why San Antonio is like the perfect landing spot for Castle. The move allowed him to join forces with Wembanyama.
The Spurs initially eased Castle into the fold due to the presence of CP3, but Castle has been more than capable of handling his own and does
If both Castle and Wembanyama continue to develop and thrive, the Spurs could be trending toward another golden era, much like the one they enjoyed thanks to players such as David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard.
Over the years, NBA teams have inherited nicknames for their players and their unique chemistry. The Clippers had Lob City.
The Lakers? A sandwich.
Anthony Davis told me in 2020 that he and LeBron James’ pick and roll were comparable to peanut butter and banana.
This year’s Spurs? Well, they’re still working through that nickname stage. “I haven’t come up with one yet,” said Castle.
“For me and Wemby? Nothing yet. Probably sometime soon though. I don’t know. That’s something to really think about, I don’t know yet.”
One thing Castle is sure of? The knowledge that he’s soaking while learning from Chris Paul. “I mean, everybody knows that C is a great point guard,” he tells ScoopB.com.
“Just being a teammate with him now I just realize how open minded he is with stuff off the court. We talk about a lot of stuff off the court, not just basketball all the time. So learning that side of him has been great and I feel it’s going to help me when I’m at his point in his career and my career.”
Stephon Castle’s Dad & Tim Duncan Were College Teammates
Undoubtedly, CP3 is the PG mentor that Castle has at his disposal. But what’s equally interesting are the the degrees of separation between Castle, basketball and the Spurs,
It’s insane!
Castle’s father, Stacey Castle, was a standout basketball player at Far Rockaway High School in Queens, N.Y. The eldest Castle averaged nearly 25 points per game as a sophomore and 34 as a junior. After high school, he played college hoops for two years at Wake Forest and in fact, was a fellow Demon Deacon teammate with a future Hall of Famer and Spurs legend in Tim Duncan. After transferring to Central Florida and later graduating from college, Castle was set to play with the Harlem Globetrotters, but instead played on a few college touring teams before starting a career as a basketball coach. That gave the father and son the opportunity to bond over hoops beginning when the youngest was in the seventh grade. “I feel like that it’s helped me tremendously to be able to lean on him with a lot of stuff because he’s been through it and he’s seen it before,” Stephon Castle tells ScoopB.com.
“So I know that he’s never going to steer me the wrong way. And to have that kind of support in your corner game in and game out, it’s been great. He’s somebody that I always lean on since I was a little kid; he coached me when I was younger and so he’s always giving me little jewels here and there and just being able to lean on him is great.”
After a stellar high school career at Covington, Georgia’s Newton High School where he became a McDonald’s All American, Stephon Castle was a magnet at UCONN under head coach, Dan Hurley. While averaging 11.1 points and hauling in 4.7 rebounds in last season’s National Championship team, the former UCONN Huskies presence on the court seemed poised for someone so young. But yet, again, he’s been preparing for the big moments all of his life and he’s ready for the NBA in year one and beyond.
“It’s been good,” Castle shared.
“I feel like I’m adjusting pretty quickly to the speed and the physicality of the game. I feel like the work that we put in and just me trying to get as many reps I can get, I feel like I’m getting better and better with it.”
In his rookie campaign, Castle is shooting a solid 38.7 percent from 3-point range. Castle has also started each of the past six games and over his past five contests, he is averaging 15.8 points, 5.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 three-pointers made, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.
