The San Antonio Spurs had the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, picking up UConn Huskies guard, Stephon Castle. Part of the 2024 national championship team, Castle got to speak to his future teammate, Victor Wembanyama, and what it meant to have a player like him on his side.
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Castle joined hosts, Justin Termine and Tom Crean, on SiriusXM NBA Radio. The Spurs rookie went on to talk about having the French sensation, Wembanyama as a teammate in the future.
“He’s one of a player. Just watching him this past year, I’m at a loss for words for how good he is. He can do everything on the court, so just to have a teammate like that just gives me a lot of confidence in our future.”
“Just to have a teammate like that, it just really gives me a lot of confidence in our future.”
Spurs Guard @StephonCastle on his new teammate Victor Wembanyama
Hear more from the #NBADraft: https://t.co/3BK4HBH0lL@TermineRadio | @TomCrean | @SiriusXMSports | @wemby pic.twitter.com/Yr7eXUGVU6
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 27, 2024
The 19-year-old witnessed Wemby making a name for himself this past year in the league with the Spurs. The French star was already labeled as a ‘Unicorn’ by many and seeing his highlights only solidified that take.
Castle praised the 20-year-old’s versatility as a player who can do almost everything on the court. Towering at 7’4, Wemby can shoot, dribble, rebound, and defend like the best of the best out there. So, to see a player like him on his side made the teenager extremely confident about what the future holds for the San Antonio Spurs.
As for the five-star recruit, he is a 6’6 guard who loves to play point. His former Huskies head coach Dan Hurley mentioned how Castle can back up almost every position and seems like the perfect fit with the Spurs organization.
But considering Castle’s game with the play style of Wembanyama, both players have displayed the ability to play almost any position out there. And for the Spurs to have two players who can go out there and cover almost all aspects of both offense and defense is a huge plus going forward.
Castle’s excitement to play with Victor Wembanyama and under coach Popovich
The UConn Huskies guard wasn’t just hyped to have Victor Wembanyama on his team. He was also ecstatic to have one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, Gregg Popovich, guiding him on his NBA journey.
When talking to the hosts of SiriusXM NBA Radio, Castle also dove into how his initial interaction with coach Pop and said:
“When I was there in my pre-draft process, I was able to have a one-on-one with him. He’s super cool, super down-to-earth and he’s ready to let me expand my game and show everything that I got. I just can’t wait to get out there and start to pick his brain and learn from him.”
“He’s super cool, super down to earth.”
4th pick, Stephon Castle (@StephonCastle), on his new coach Gregg Popovich
Hear more from the #NBADraft: https://t.co/3BK4HBHybj@TermineRadio | @TomCrean | @SiriusXMSports pic.twitter.com/OBSEh5nXt0
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 27, 2024
Many people widely recognize Gregg Popovich for pushing his players to their maximum potential. So, having a player like Castle who can not only shoot but also run the team’s offense is going to greatly benefit the Spurs in the upcoming season.
Don’t be surprised if coach Pop turns Castle into a Tony Parker-Manu Ginobili hybrid, given his size, speed, and willingness to go out there and help his team in any way possible.
