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The San Antonio Spurs' rebuild -- whether it succeeds or fails -- goes through its young core, anchored by "the alien," Victor Wembanyama. The NBA's Rookie of the Year will enter the 2024/25 season with higher expectations after dazzling fans throughout the 2023/24 campaign -- and he'll have a new running mate in Stephon Castle, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Castle, a star guard from the University of Connecticut, will look to hit the ground running with Wembanyama, the top overall pick from 2023 and a player who could mark a generation of NBA hoops with his ability to meld his size with a guard's skill. But the 7'4'' phenom will have to convince Castle that he is better than the UConn product's current favorite player.
Castle reveals his favorite player: Jayson Tatum!
In a post-draft interview on SiriusXM, Castle declared that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is the player he ires most in the NBA. Castle described Tatum as a player who "does so many different things on the court" -- a multifaceted playing style that he showcased repeatedly throughout this season's NBA playoffs.
Despite a rough shooting performance in the NBA Finals, Tatum helped steer the Celtics to their first championship in 16 years with a combination of high-level playmaking and switchability on defense. And Tatum still found the time to put up six 30-plus point games in the playoffs -- including a 31-point, 11-assist eruption in the clinching Game 5 of the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Still, there appear to be no hard feelings between Castle and Wembanyama at this nascent stage of their professional relationship. The pair FaceTimed shortly after the Spurs took Castle in the draft, and Wemby said he is "super excited" to start working with his new running mate as he hopes to usher in a new era of championship-level basketball in San Antonio.