A Look Back At The Spurs’ ROYs
San Antonio has had a lot of success in the NBA draft.
The San Antonio Spurs’ future is looking bright.
A few weeks ago, their young point guard, Stephon Castle, won the Rookie of the Year Award.
Then, just a few days ago, the Spurs won the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft (which could turn into another ROY).
San Antonio has historically done well with selecting rookies, so I thought I would take this opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and revisit all of their Rookie of the Years.
Let’s get to it:
David Robinson (1989-90 Rookie of the Year)
When David Robinson stepped onto the court in his first NBA game, he was already an established player (or he seemed like he was).
The Admiral recorded a double-double against a legendary Los Angeles Lakers team like it was just another day in the office.
He carried this confidence with him throughout his rookie season, where he averaged 24.3 points, 12 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 3.9 blocks.
As a result, he was in MVP talks, was an All-Star, and was an All-NBA and All-Defensive player.
And obviously, he won the Rookie of the Year Award.
Tim Duncan (1997-98 Rookie of the Year)
Following in his predecessor and mentors’ footsteps, Tim Duncan also played like a vet in his rookie season.
In his first 10 NBA games, Duncan recorded 5 double-doubles and even had a near 20-20 game.
This led him to many accolades, such as being an All-Star, an All-NBA player and an All-Defensive player. He was also in MVP and Defensive Player of the Year talks.
He ended his first season with averages of 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks.
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Now, back to the article…
Victor Wembanyama (2023-24 Rookie of the Year)
Victor Wembanyama had a lot of praise before the NBA draft.
He was expected to be the next evolution of basketball players, and he did not disappoint in his rookie season.
He broke a bunch of franchise and league records, such as becoming the first player in the NBA to record consecutive games with at least 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks.
He was also the youngest player to record a 40-point-20-rebound game.
He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Wemby didn’t win as many awards as his predecessors, but he was second in the DPOY voting and was an All-Defensive player.
Stephon Castle (2024-25 Rookie Castle)
When comparing Stephon Castle to the other three Spurs’ ROYs, his stats and accolades are not as impressive.
He didn’t break any records (other than leading all rookies in steals, with 74 total), he wasn’t an All-Star, and he wasn’t in any MVP or DPOY conversations. He wasn’t even in Rookie of the Year talks early in the season.
However, around the halfway mark, Castle started getting more opportunity and he took advantage of it by showing off his well-rounded game.
In the final 45 games of the season, he averaged 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1 steal.
Castle also recorded 6 double-doubles, with a variety of combinations (points and assists, and points and rebounds).
Final Thoughts
The Spurs have talented scouts and are outstanding decision-makers.
Are they going to select the next Rookie of the Year or are they going to pick the Spurs’ next legend in this year’s draft?
Let me know what you think.
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