Hector Ledesma Articles - Page 4

In a Final Four made up solely of No. 1 seeds, the Florida Basketball team isn’t shying away from the notion that the Gators might be the best squad in all of the NCAA. “I think our guys understand and know that when we’re at our best, we are one of, if not, the best […]

Hours after Stephon Castle joined San Antonio Spurs royalty, the rookie from UConn downplayed the honor that led to such notoriety. In winning a second Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Castle became only the fourth rookie in the rich Spurs annals to accomplish the feat. But, instead of focusing on San Antonio legends Tim […]

As blossoming star Stephon Castle has set himself up as the inevitable winner of this season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the San Antonio Spurs guard has captured his second Rookie of the Month award. What might be surprising, however, is the company that Castle now […]

While the San Antonio Spurs have been without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox since March 13, it’s a reality that may be hitting hardest a couple of weeks later. Over the span of 11 days, the Silver and Black have seven games against some of the top teams in the NBA, all without their two […]

In each of the team’s previous two complete seasons, Devin Vassell has ranked second on the San Antonio Spurs in scoring. Two years ago, the 2020 first-round draft pick trailed only Keldon Johnson. Last season, super rookie Victor Wembanyama led the Silver and Black in that category. In every one of his four NBA seasons, […]

Following a full time-out just four minutes and 23 seconds into a contest vs. the Golden State Warriors, the overwhelming majority of the San Antonio Spurs who walked onto the court had not yet set foot on it. Two of those four players have only recently found their way into the team’s rotation—mainly because of […]

In a stretch of four consecutive games that pitted the San Antonio Spurs against teams that are firmly entrenched in the NBA playoff picture, their standout rookie Stephon Castle has continued to shine. Versus the Detroit Pistons, the former UConn Husky scored 19 points. At the Cleveland Cavaliers, he put in 22 points. Against the […]

As the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs were hanging around with the defending champion Boston Celtics down the stretch, Chris Paul put his team on his shoulders. With 8:17 remaining in the contest and his Spurs threatening to get what had consistently been a 15-point deficit since the third quarter into single digits, the future Hall […]

A conversation with Gregg Popovich proved vital in Chris Paul’s decision to join the San Antonio Spurs. It turns out, the future Hall-of-Famer played just a handful of games for the Hall-of-Fame coach. Literally. Though the NBA’s all-time winningest coach kept the door open to a return before season’s end and though an official announcement […]

Outside of their fabled number-one overall picks, only one player in San Antonio Spurs history has been drafted higher than Stephon Castle. And while Sean Elliott, who went third overall in the 1989 NBA Draft, ranks as one of the greatest in Silver and Black history, it’s Stephon Castle who’s now joined Tim Duncan, Victor […]

The San Antonio Spurs equaled their season-high four-game winning streak snapped. Throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, defense has been the problem that’s kept them from consistency. In a recent 122-96 Spurs loss at the Detroit Pistons, Devin Vassell pointed to the other side of the court for the Silver and Black. “We’ve got stuff we’ve […]

How unlikely was it that Sandro Mamukelashvili would be the player who’d make NBA scoring history? Through his first seven games in March, the reserve San Antonio Spurs big man scored a combined 36 points. In a 120-105 victory vs. the New York Knicks, Mamukelashvili scored 34. He did it under 19:26 minutes of playing […]

As a vital part of a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, Cooper Flagg may find himself in the Alamo City come early April. Should that happen, San Antonio Spurs fans would be tempted to keep him from getting on a return flight to Durham, North Carolina. But outside of the consensus top overall […]

Stephon Castle led the San Antonio Spurs in scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers in their Monday night showdown. It was the beginning of the game, though, playing against Luka Doncic that sticks out most to the standout rookie. Often assigned to guard the opponent’s best player, Castle drew the recently acquired Lakers superstar. The […]

It’s been a tough season for the San Antonio Spurs. Perhaps no one has felt it more than Mitch Johnson. The assistant coach who took over for Hall-of-Famer Gregg Popovich very early on has been in charge during a year that started with promise but has seen since the losses of Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron […]

Keldon Johnson is the longest-tenured player on the San Antonio Spurs. But on a team that includes Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox, he’s often overlooked. Especially as the Spurs continue to struggle. But game in and game out, Johnson continues to contribute in major ways. Though he doesn’t start and though […]

Seemingly, everyone around Stephon Castle is talking about the strength of his NBA Rookie of the Year caliber season. Some are from a distance, too. Several members of the San Antonio Spurs, including his acting head coach and one of the team’s best players, leave little doubt about where they stand. During a recent Spurs […]

San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson has taken an even-keel approach to most of this season. Since taking over for the legendary Gregg Popovich in very early November, the 38-year-old assistant has stayed away from headline-type quotes. Following a 145-134 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson may have come his closest to anything […]

De’Aaron Fox discussed his coming season-ending surgery on the heels of the related San Antonio Spurs announcement. It marks the second injury that prematurely ends the year for one of the team’s All-Stars. Acquired in early February in a trade meant to boost the Silver and Black’s playoff push, Fox did more than hint at […]

The news that De’Aaron Fox will miss the final month of the season because of injury didn’t surprise his San Antonio Spurs teammates. Perhaps the announcement came a couple of days early. But it wasn’t unexpected, especially to Devin Vassell. Directly following an early March game at the Sacramento Kings, which marked his first meeting […]

As San Antonio Spurs star rookie Stephon Castle continues to impress the NBA world, he’s making even more of an impression on those closest to him. The 20-year-old rookie from UConn has emerged as the clear front runner for the league’s Rookie of the Year. To those on his team, he’s becoming synonymous with the […]

In seven and a half seasons with the Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox recorded one triple-double. He nearly matched that in his sixth week with the San Antonio Spurs. The 2023 NBA All-Star scored a game-high 32 points and dished out 11 assists vs. the Dallas Mavericks. But in terms of numbers, it’s a stat he […]

In the midst of a tough stretch, since Victor Wembanyama was lost for the season, the San Antonio Spurs managed a split against another struggling franchise by knocking off the Dallas Mavericks 126-116. It’s the kind of outcome the team’s leading scorer, De’Aaron Fox, wants to see more often. “It’s definitely difficult without Vic. At […]

With five championships, six NBA Finals appearances, and a league record 22 straight playoff berths, the San Antonio Spurs represented an NBA standard for the better part of two decades. Though it’s a level of success rarely seen through sports annals, the recent editions of the Silver and Black are light years away from previous […]

A 133-129 loss to the Dallas Mavericks continues a tail spin for the San Antonio Spurs. While the Silver and Black have sputtered since Victor Wembanyama’s season-ending injury immediately following the All-Star Break, two games vs. the Dallas provided a chance for them to get right back in the Western Conference Play-in picture. Instead, Spurs […]

The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks not only share the same home state, they also share similar trajectories right now. Albeit for different reasons. Yet, consecutive games between the two Texas teams could prove pivotal on whether either makes the Western Conference Play-in. To some it may seem like a forgone conclusion that neither […]

San Antonio Spurs star De’Aaron Fox admitted that the finger injury he’s been dealing with virtually the entire season may cut his year short. Following the team’s 127-109 loss at the Sacramento Kings in a game that represented Fox’s return to the city where he spent his first seven and half NBA seasons, the Spurs’ […]

While others around De’Aaron Fox, the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs may have focused on Fox’s return to Northern California for the first time since a February trade sent him to the Alamo City, the eight-year veteran downplayed its impact. “I haven’t. I’m not going to lie to you,” Fox answered when asked how […]

In attempting to set the record straight regarding his exit from the Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox is also making another aspect clear. Victor Wembanyama is why he singled out the San Antonio Spurs as a preferred destination. “Why I wanted to come here,” is the way Fox described it to ESPN just ahead of his […]

Former Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is ready for a return to Northern California — no matter what it brings. A little more than a month after the former Kings star requested a trade to the San Antonio Spurs, Fox wouldn’t be surprised if a homecoming doesn’t feel like it at times. “For the people […]

How big was Devin Vassell’s night in a Spurs win vs. the Brooklyn Nets? Only LeBron James has enjoyed a similar game in the annals of NBA history. With a career-highs in points (37) and three-pointers (8), the former Florida State Seminole also tied personal bests with four steals and 14 field goals. It’s a […]

Ruled out for the season in late February, Victor Wembanyama continues to be very present among his San Antonio Spurs teammates. The NBA’s latest generational talent carved a spot on the bench in the franchise’s homecoming from its annual “Rodeo Road Trip.” Teammates De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle maintain the rest of us would’ve witnessed […]

It’s safe to say Stephon Castle is no longer in a slump. After managing six points total over two games in New Orleans and 18 points through three games, including a match-up vs. the Detroit Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs rookie, who’s averaging 13.2 points per night, scored 22, 24 and 32 points in that […]

San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie as well as Oklahoma City Thunder players Kenrich Williams and Lu Dort were all ejected following an incident that could’ve turned into a brawl had multiple players not intervened. Both Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson and Thunder head man Mark Daigneault shared initial reactions to the altercation. “It […]

Right before the San Antonio Spurs announced that Hall of Fame Head Coach Gregg Popovich would not return to the bench this season, he addressed the team. New star De’Aaron Fox had not seen Pop in person since he joined the franchise. Harrison Barnes, like Fox acquired via trade from the Sacramento Kings, only played […]

A 130-128 San Antonio Spurs victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the final seconds provided a positive end to the “Rodeo Road Trip.” The silver and black’s last home game before their annual excursion through the country took place on Feb. 1 vs. the Miami Heat. Between then and De’Aaron Fox’s game winner vs. the […]

De’Aaron Fox is no stranger to big shots, but he is still somewhat of a stranger to the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA’s inaugural winner of the Clutch Player of the Year Award, though, had the ball in his hands in the waning seconds of a tie game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies for the first […]

The San Antonio Spurs trade for De’Aaron Fox brought about a prediction or two of what it would mean for not only the team but perhaps for the NBA’s Western Conference playoff picture. But the anticipation of watching Fox paired with Victor Wembanyama has dissipated since the generational talent’s season came to an end. The […]

At a point not long ago, the San Antonio Spurs had won 59 more games than the Memphis Grizzlies through their total series history. Because the Grizz are among the NBA’s newest franchises, with history from the then-Vancouver Grizzlies dating back to 1995, the Spurs racked up that lead by winning 87 of their first […]