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In the field of psychology, the debate between nurture and nature continues to rage on. Of course, most of the time, the answer lies somewhere in between. In the San Antonio Spurs' case, they made the postseason for 22 straight years not only because of the sheer talent (nature) they had on the roster back when Tim Duncan and company were still active, but also because of legendary head coach Gregg Popovich's tutelage (nurture). And this, according to Keldon Johnson, remains very much alive to this day.
Speaking with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the 23-year old forward who led the Spurs team last season in scoring, revealed that he still does feel the hallowed culture the organization has set for years even though the results haven't been pretty on the court for the past few seasons.
“Yeah, definitely, [I have felt the Spurs way]. It’s a culture here. Each and every day, we’re held to a certain standard. Some things, when you walk around here, you know it’s just Spurs culture. I feel like, as far as the standard and how we are and looked at, it’s no different,” Johnson said.
Given how much experience Gregg Popovich has in bringing out the best in his players, it's no surprise to see that the culture they've built over the years remains intact, with Popovich being the constant variable that has held things together for the Spurs even as they transition to their next era of contention, perhaps with Victor Wembanyama leading the way.
Even with the Spurs basically handing the keys to the franchise to their prized youngster, Keldon Johnson will still have a huge role to play in the team's attempt to at least threaten to make the play-in tournament for the upcoming season. Johnson will be relied upon by the Spurs to shoulder some of the shot-creation burden on the perimeter, and with increased talent around him, he'll have more space to maneuver his way towards the basket.
And with Johnson being just 23 years of age and fully ingrained within the Spurs' culture, his career may yet take off from here.
