By Brett Siegel

Copyright clutchpoints

Stephon Castle has accomplished a great deal in his young basketball career. After winning a national championship at UConn, Castle went on to be drafted fourth overall by the San Antonio Spurs and win the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award with the San Antonio Spurs.

As he prepares to enter his second season with the Spurs, expectations for Castle on the court are exceptionally high. Castle is a key building block next to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox to help get this organization back to championship relevance, with another high-profile guard in Dylan Harper also entering the mix this season after going No. 2 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

However, playing for the Spurs means more than wearing a jersey, dunking over basketball stars, or winning games every night. To play for the Spurs means one is devoting oneself to a certain culture.

San Antonio holds a special chapter in the lineage of basketball lore, and that is because of the standard those who came before Castle built in the Alamo City.

There is an unspoken commitment, a promise if you will, that every player on the Spurs makes to the community around them and the franchise as a whole when they join. That duty is to uphold the organization’s exemplary professionalism and become a pillar for the society in which they live.

Of course, winning still matters, and without the wins, the Spurs’ culture wouldn’t be what it is today. But for Castle, he has learned quickly how valuable and important the San Antonio community is. Their love and support throughout the country are the main motivating factors behind the young guard wanting to consistently give back to Spurs fans.

Although he may still be a relatively new San Antonio resident, having been drafted in 2024, the reigning Rookie of the Year and rising talent is deeply devoted to his community.

“It’s been nothing but love from this city,” Castle told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Even outside of San Antonio, I still feel the love. When I am in New York, I get stopped by Spurs fans. Same thing in California. Our community runs deep, and that’s something that goes really unnoticed when you talk about those big-market teams in the league.

“San Antonio may not be the cities New York and Los Angeles are, but our fans are everywhere, and so is that love they give all of us. I love playing here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Their love is amazing.”

Unlike those big-market cities where players can’t always go out of their homes to interact with those around them for obvious security concerns, the Spurs organization holds a special bond with its fans.

Giving back to the community is a major part of what it means to be a member of the Spurs. Simply spending time out of the arena and practice court is another major reason why Spurs players like Castle hold such affection for San Antonio.

“I love the interactions with the fans in and outside the arena,” Castle explained. “What makes San Antonio so special from my perspective as an athlete is the fact that there aren’t other professional sports teams out here. We are all this city has, and so it makes us push even harder to be the best versions of ourselves for them.

“The Spurs franchise is idolized by this community, so anywhere we go, they are right by our side to support us. Spurs fans are wholesome, caring, and very loving of us. Being able to play for such a historic organization and to get immediate love from the city when I’ve been here a year and some change is definitely a great feeling.”

Stephon Castle raises awareness for San Antonio community

If you ask Stephon Castle what makes him happy, he would answer such a question multiple ways.

You could lock him in the gym with a basketball and a week’s worth of necessary supplies, and he would be happy. Send Stephon on a vacation with his friends and family, and he would be happy.

What would also fill the young Spurs guard with joy is finding a way to raise awareness for the city of San Antonio and all the passionate Spurs fans who constantly support him. That is why this offseason, Castle partnered with USAA to educate his San Antonio community on the dangers of cooking fires.

Barbecues and cooking are a major part of what makes the San Antonio and Texas community so unique. Unfortunately, many fires start and become uncontrollable because many don’t know the proper procedures for containing the blaze.

For Castle, this offseason was a chance for him to do what he loves for those he lives around: raise awareness and show his community the same love they give him on the court.

“It was really just more for me to learn about the prevention of house fires. Just knowing how important the facts are and how many homes are gone every year when they could’ve been prevented — it’s eye-opening,” Castle told ClutchPoints. “USAA has been an amazing educational force for me, and they let me help with fire prevention firsthand. I am glad to help be a beacon to teach about fire prevention.”

The San Antonio community has become such an important part of Castle’s life, which is why his charitable actions are his own.

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Castle genuinely wants what is best for those around him and all of the amazing Spurs fans in his community. As a result, educating everyone about cooking fires, something that causes an average of over 150,000 home structure fires per year, is something he felt he needed to do.

“Just being able to come to the San Antonio Fire Department and the city we play in to spread more word about preventing fires; I feel like it helped show the community that we aren’t just basketball players and we genuinely care about helping them. We wouldn’t be who we are without their support,” Castle continued. “Nobody should go through a house fire or any of that, so the more we can help to prevent these instances from occurring, the better.”

Spurs primed for rapid growth

Along with playing the role of firefighter this summer, Castle has also been in the gym, spending a lot of time making sure he is the best version of himself for the thousands of Spurs fans who pack Frost Bank Center in San Antonio every night of the long 82-game NBA season.

This is only Year 2 for Castle in the league, and yet he has become a prominent, leading voice for the Spurs.

Castle is only 20 years old. Although he is the only player in San Antonio’s locker room under 21, his voice is still respected because of how Wembanyama and Fox have embraced him.

Aside from his performances on the court and leading the Spurs down the stretch of the 2024-25 season without their two stars, Castle is a security blanket that his teammates trust. The family-like atmosphere the Spurs have built is something Castle has embraced, and he is always there for his brothers.

This trust these young talents built up and down the roster is something that resonated with Castle once he was drafted by San Antonio, and it has helped this young Spurs team take that next step in their rebuild.

As far as his individual game goes, Castle recognizes the opportunity that awaits him for the 2025-26 season.

After winning the Rookie of the Year award, seeing Wemby play like an MVP before his blood clot issue, and Fox joining the mix, Castle understands that there is a clear opportunity for the Spurs to prove their immediate growth. That is why he and the team hold high postseason expectations.

“I am super optimistic about what we can achieve this upcoming year. I am a very confident person, and that resonates with my teammates. We all have a high belief in one another, and we are constantly pushing one another to be better,” Castle stated. “We can only control what we can control, and hopefully everyone stays healthy because we had those moments last year when things were starting to come together.

“Vic and De’Aaron are just two pieces to our puzzle. We need everyone to be their best to get where we expect to be. We all want to get back to the playoffs, and we know we are capable of doing so. The West is tough, but we have a deep roster with a lot of unique traits.”

When Castle entered the league, he was an athletic guard who could do a little bit of everything. Many were labeling him as a raw two-way athlete who didn’t really thrive in one particular area but could instantly become a “glue guy” for the Spurs in the sense that he could be the bridge between the first and second rotations.

That proved true immediately during his rookie year, as Castle made an instant impact as a scorer, on-ball defender, and all-around playmaker. Then again, he never really got the chance to work on his craft last summer because of the 2024 NBA Draft.

This offseason, Castle has been devoted to focusing on his game and what he needs to do better in order for the Spurs to reach another level.

“It’s been able to find where I am the most efficient on the court – find spots I can get to at any time,” Castle said in regard to his focus during the offseason. “This summer was all about getting reps and working on certain areas of my game that could’ve been stronger during my rookie year.

“Last summer, I had a lot going on with the national championship at UConn and going through the pre-draft workouts with different teams. Over the last couple of months, I’ve actually been able to build on my success and growth instead of trying to prove myself to teams. Now, it’s all about continuing to prove myself to me and my teammates so we can reach our goals.”

It has been six years since the Spurs were last in the postseason, their longest playoff drought in franchise history.

While it won’t be easy for the Spurs to emerge in a crowded Western Conference, Castle is very optimistic about his team’s chances because of the foundation they have built in the backcourt.

Why Stephon Castle believes in Spurs’ backcourt logjam

After two straight years of taking the eventual Rookie of the Year inside the top four of the NBA Draft, the Spurs were back at it in June with the second overall pick. Although San Antonio would have loved to pair Cooper Flagg, who went first overall, with Wembanyama, Fox, and Castle, the Spurs were thrilled to welcome Harper into the fold.

From a skill standpoint, Harper is undoubtedly the second-best player in this year’s rookie class. His playmaking abilities at the guard position make everyone around him better, and his first step from the perimeter collapses opposing defenses. The bottom line is that Harper is a mismatch as a lengthy guard who isn’t afraid of contact and physicality.

While all of this sounds great, many immediately questioned why the Spurs would select yet another guard, especially considering that they just did so with Castle, the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year, and traded for Fox in February.

Well, the Spurs’ approach in the draft was simple: take the best player and figure it out from there.

That is exactly what this organization has done over the last two and a half months since drafting Harper. The front office, coaching staff, and players are all aligned on the same mission, and that is finding success on the court together.

Harper, Fox, and Castle all bring something different to the table while being elite playmakers and facilitators, which is why they know for a fact that this unique trio can be successful.

“We’ve had these conversations already. Everyone can say what they want, but the NBA has truly transitioned to a positionless league in the sense that all five guys on the court can fill any role needed,” Castle recognized. “It’s a true advantage to have three of us who are confident in not only creating for others but also ourselves as well. If you can have as many guys who can handle the ball with a high IQ on the court, why not put them together?

In recent years, so many teams have adopted two-guard lineups in the sense that they play multiple ball handlers and facilitators on the court together. While it’s unlikely that the Spurs would increase this to three-guard lineups with Castle, Harper, and Fox on the court together, rotating these three players around makes San Antonio’s rotations very talented.

Aside from being able to play uptempo and attack in transition with Castle, Harper, and Fox, the Spurs would take a lot of pressure off Wembanyama to do everything with these guards running the show. Essentially, this three-guard rotation creates yet another problem for opposing teams to try and figure out next to the French big man.

With the options on offense endless and these three already being on the same page as one another before training camp, Castle knows the Spurs are ready to take a massive step in the right direction.

“I am super excited to play with these guys this season and for fans to see what our backcourt looks like. It’s a luxury to be able to team up with such great guards, and none of us acts like we are higher than the other. That’s why I know this will work to perfection and create a lot of problems for our opponents.

“Their high IQs and skills will only elevate my overall game.”

From an individual perspective, a lot is riding on Castle entering his second season.

Expectations are high after winning the Rookie of the Year award, and many players would begin setting their next lofty goals. For some, that would be making the All-Star Game or becoming an All-NBA talent. Maybe for other guards, their goal would be to lead the league in scoring or assists.

The Spurs youngster only cares about winning games, no matter what his statistics or accolades are. All of these accomplishments are great, and Castle would welcome them, but his sole focus is on the team.

“I honestly haven’t really set any big goals. It’s all about team success for me,” Castle firmly stated. “Truthfully, I feel like team goals are way better than personal goals. Obviously, being an All-Star or being awarded this and that is great, but for me, I want to win and see my teammates succeed. If we all stay locked in on the bigger picture, then the personal accolades will come.

“Going into the season, I’m not looking into what I can do. I’m only focused on how we can do better and win this season.”

Of course, winning leads to the chance to make the playoffs.

DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge were the veteran stars leading the Spurs the last time they were in the playoffs in 2019, and Kawhi Leonard was the focal point of the franchise the last time San Antonio won a playoff series in 2017.

A lot of time has passed since then, and much has changed internally for the Spurs.

Mitch Johnson has officially taken over for Gregg Popovich on the sidelines, and the youth movement is in full effect. Inexperience matters, to an extent, but the Spurs have drawn great inspiration from what the Oklahoma City Thunder recently accomplished with one of the youngest rosters in league history.

The Spurs have one collective goal as a team, and that’s to be the best version of themselves. In doing so, the organization understands they will be a playoff team and finally find themselves on the right path to recapturing their title as a contending threat in the West.

From Castle’s point of view, he’s eager for the 2025-26 season to begin.

All of the hours he has spent this offseason perfecting his craft can finally be showcased, and he’s ready to build off the momentum San Antonio created for themselves to end last season.

“It’s all about the guys that we have. We are just counting down the days until the season starts, and training camp hasn’t even started yet. It’s all about building off the momentum we had last year,” Castle said. “Before the All-Star break, we were really finding our groove and playing our best with one another. Unfortunately, Vic went out, and things took a turn for us with other injuries piling up, but our confidence never shook in the front office or locker room.

“All of us in this organization know what our goals are, and our confidence remains at an all-time high. That is why the playoffs are just the start of what we can achieve.”