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 Grizzlies, the Spurs traded for Fox and found out Victor Wembanyama was done for the season.

A 128-109 loss in Memphis and the aforementioned victory vs. those same Grizzlies sandwiched a 10-game stint that didn't officially include two “home” contests in Austin, TX and the NBA All-Star Game.

The first leg of the Rodeo Road Trip (and just before)

The Spurs had great reason for excitement to start their 23rd “Rodeo Road Trip.”  The night before that first game, they pulled off perhaps the second-biggest trade the league has seen this season. Completing a deal that had been reported as a possibility for a good part of two weeks, general manager Brian Wright acquired Fox from the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal without giving up any players they'd hope to build around.

As the team waited for Fox to arrive, the Spurs lost in Memphis before Fox debuted with 24 points in a 126-125 victory at the Atlanta Hawks. That victory proved the first of three straight one-point games for San Antonio. As Fox assimilated, the Spurs lost those next two against the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic. Then came a ten-point win vs. the Washington Wizards in which both Fox and Wembanyama each scored more than 30 points.

A loss to the Boston Celtics two nights later didn't squash a sense of the anticipation that came with the Spurs' pairing their generational talent with the 2023 All-Star. That match-up with the defending champions served as their final game before All-Star Weekend.

The second leg of the Road Trip (and just before)

San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum.
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The All-Star break saw Stephon Castle take part in the Rising Stars Game, the Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Game by virtue of a new format. Chris Paul and Wembanyama competed in the Skills Challenge and Wemby was spotlighted in the All-Star games on Sunday. As that wrapped up, the Spurs were set for somewhat of a break from the Rodeo Road Trip.

But before those two games vs. the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons in Austin (part of an annual Spurs outreach in the state's capital), the NBA learned that Wembanyama was lost for the season because of blood clots in his right shoulder.

Following a split in Austin, San Antonio lost its next three games. Several of their key players, such as Castle and Devin Vassell, struggled in stretches as the group stumbled, ensuring a losing record on the annual trip for essentially the eighth straight year (they went 2-1 because of COVID postponements in 2021).

A buzzer-beating loss to the Heat served as a launch before the Rodeo Road Trip. A victory in the final seconds ended it.

The 3-7 mark doesn't totally encapsulate the roller coaster the Spurs went through in between.