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With the 2025 NBA Draft approaching, it's easy to forget now, but leading up to last year's draft and once Stephon Castle's name was announced, it appeared as though the San Antonio Spurs may had again come away with a potential Rookie of the Year.
His quiet confidence tells you that the former UConn Husky sees it that way. His words suggest another.
“I mean, everybody in the NBA has seen that I was Rookie of the Year,” Castle observed upon receiving the award.
He then added a statement that raised some eyebrows.
“Coming into next year, I can't really sneak up on anybody like I did this year.”
For the Covington, Ga., native to have snuck up on opponents speaks volumes. From the moment odds makers started tracking, they had Castle winning the Rookie of the Year.
“It's definitely a blessing to be in that position,” the national champion with the Huskies added.
Stephon Castle looks forward after stellar rookie season
Considering only four players in San Antonio have won ROY, it stands to reason that Castle and Victor Wembanyama became the first Spurs to win it back to back. More importantly, it gives the franchise another building block as they aim to reclaim past glory.
“I think that just speaks super highly of our front office, the guy who make the decisions,” Castle shared. “It obviously speaks highly of me and Vic. It speaks highly of our future as well – what we have going on and what we plan on doing here pretty soon.”
Though he entered with expectations, unlike Wemby, Castle didn't arrive with worldwide hype.
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“I've been really going through that all year. Just being in the NBA is an accomplishment for me,” the 20-year-old guard continued. “To be where I am today, those emotions, it's hard to hold them in. Just really embracing those moments with family. They're always around supporting. They never miss a step. They make it easy to enjoy moments like this.
“It means the world to see all the support that I get from San Antonio,” Castle added about the vast support.
Stephon Castle more than lived up to expectations in rookie season
Though he wasn't the top pick of the #NBA Draft, it didn't take long for lots of analysts & odds-makers to name Stephon Castle as the ROY favorite
Asked him about meeting that reality..
"When I hear expectations, I try and just break through that wall"
Answer⬇️#Spurs#PorVida pic.twitter.com/h4M62cgKtU
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) April 30, 2025
In starting 47 and playing in 81 games, Castle averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. Down the final stretch of the season, he admitted Rookie of the Year was his.
“I don't shy away from any of those moments, so just to get everybody's best shot is definitely a blessing.”
ClutchPoints previously asked Castle about navigating through his first season in the NBA for the Spurs.
“When I hear expectations, I try and break through that wall no matter what it is. I'm feel like I'm super confident in myself as a player.”
It's confidence that started at the NBA level the moment Spurs GM Brian Wright drafted him.
“I heard B. Wright say it all the time that he didn't even know what kind of player he was getting,” Castle continued. “Internally, I knew who I was. That's why I stay even keel, stay humble because I feel like all the work that I put in will eventually show.”
It already has. Castle and the Spurs now prepare for year two.
