The San Antonio Spurs have had to play the past few weeks without their star Victor Wembanyama, but it hasn't been a problem for them, as they're still winning games. They recently got a big win against the Los Angeles Lakers and have advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals, where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of the big reasons for their win was the play of Stephon Castle, who finished with a team-high 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. He laid the dagger in the Lakers down the stretch of the game with a big 3-pointer. With the stat line, he became only the third player in the franchise's storied history to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and five or more assists in a game by the age of 21.

After the game, Castle received the ultimate praise from LeBron James, and was able to get his jersey that came with a message from the Lakers' star.

“Love everything about you, Young King. Keep going up! Strive for Greatness,” James wrote on the jersey.

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At this point in James' career, it is an honor to get a signed jersey from him. There's no doubt that Castle deserved it, especially looking at the game that he had. With Castle and the rest of the team, they've been playing well enough to weather the storm without their best player on the court.

The good news is that Wembanyama is making progress to get back on the court, and it would not be a surprise if he returned as soon as the semifinals.

“(He could return) very much so. He had a very good day today. He had a good intent day this morning, and we’ll have to see how he responds and reacts tomorrow,” head coach Mitch Johnson said via Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Having the Spurs at full health will be big for them as they face off against the best team in the league.