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Following his pro debut, the San Antonio Spurs held out first-round pick Carter Bryant in the team's second Summer League game in as many days. The former Arizona Wildcat scored 7 points on three-for-eight shooting, including one-of-six from beyond the arc, vs. the Miami Heat. He also grabbed five rebounds in 21 and a half minutes of action.
“I mean, this one game isn't gonna define my whole career,” Bryant said following the 82-69 loss.
“It's got to be a smart aggressive,” the 19-year-old rookie added about his play. “A lot of them were dumb, dumb aggressive mistakes to be completely honest with you. So I think the biggest thing for me is just making that adjustment moving forward.”
Bryant committed seven fouls in the contest. Players are allowed 10 in Summer League.
Carter Bryant embraces first taste of pro ball
With Dylan Harper, the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, out for the team's first three games because of precautionary measures related to injury, San Antonio's first glances of the summer are focused on Bryant.
“I was just excited to go out and play basketball. I haven't played since we lost to Duke at Arizona, so for me to have Spurs across my chest and be able to represent one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, I was ready to go out and compete,” the 14th pick of last month's draft said.
Spurs Summer League post-game reaction…
Carter Bryant:
“…For me to have Spurs across my chest and be able to represent one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, I was ready to go and compete.”Full thought⬇️#Spurs #GoSpursGo #PorVida pic.twitter.com/YzINYyJjAP
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) July 6, 2025
“It was fun. I mean, it's gonna be tough the first time out playing against grown men, guys that are gonna be smarter, faster, stronger than you, all those things. So, I think everything was a learning experience,” Carter continued. “I think for me moving forward, I just gotta look back at this film and make adjustments.”
Following a 90-88 win vs. the Golden State Warriors in their second game of the California Classic in San Francisco, expect to see Bryant back in the lineup when the team closes out the West Coast portion of their summer schedule vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on July 8. The Spurs sat him vs. the Warriors so that he wouldn't play in back-to-back games right off the bat.
“There's always room for improvement. I think that's the thing: I could've had 40, I could've scored 0 points,” Bryant continued. “I could've made better decisions on the ball, could've made better decisions defensively. I've got to be smarter with my fouls, got to stay more mentally aware of certain things. I've got understand the scout a little bit better.”
Following their three games in California, the Spurs will travel to Utah to resume Summer League play as Carter gets an opportunity to show the organization that he can contribute at the highest level as a rookie. A spot on the team's rotation from the get go is what both the Spurs and Bryant are hoping for.
“I feel like I did a good job of that at college, but it's a different level of basketball,” the 6-foot-8 forward admitted. “The game's getting played at a lot faster pace. So, obviously, just making that adjustment and getting better game by game.”
