Inspired by mom, Spurs’ Tre Jones advocates for breast cancer research

SAN ANTONIO — Tre Jones is no stranger to representing the Spurs around the San Antonio community. But on Wednesday morning, Tre was in San Antonio making a public appearance on behalf of a different cause: breast cancer research.

In partnership with the Susan G. Komen organization, Jones promoted the upcoming “More Than Pink” walk at the construction site for the new Methodist Hospital location in Westover Hills.

The walk is scheduled for November 3, 2024, while hospital itself will open two weeks later.

Jones has long been a proponent for breast cancer research. His mother, Debbie, is a breast cancer survivor.

Debbie was diagnosed in March of 2019, in the middle of Tre’s freshman season at Duke.

“She took on breast cancer headfirst,” says Jones, a 2nd-Round draft pick of the Spurs in 2020. “It look a little bit for her to adjust about telling people, and not trying to just hide it and fight it herself.”

“But once she opened up about it and got all the love and support from all of our family and friends, it was really important for us to continue to pass that on to everybody else.”

By the time Tre was a sophomore later that year, Debbie had won her fight.

Basketball is a big part of Jones’ family life.

His older brother Tyus is a nine-year veteran in the NBA, and has also been vocal in support for cancer research.

When Tre and Tyus, then with the Memphis Grizzlies, squared off against each in 2022, the brothers donated $10,000 to a San Antonio non-profit dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.

“It’s a huge responsibility for me and my brother,” says Jones of his charitable work. “We both feel that and my mom definitely loves that as well.”

It’s his own family experience that keeps him so connected to fighting for a cure.

“We found out so many more people that we didn’t even know that we’re dealing with the same thing.”

“And I think that’s how it is throughout life, there’s so many people that are going through this battle. I think it’s always important to just share and try to help in any way you can.”

Meanwhile, Tre has seen his own family grow in San Antonio. He and his wife are parents to three young girls, including newborn twins after this most recent NBA season.

On the court, Tre is a fixture in the Spurs rotation, averaging a career-high 10 points per game last season while being named a finalist for the NBA’s sportsmanship award.

With Tyus entering un-restricted free agency, the Spurs could potentially make the Jones family even closer.

“That would be really cool to team up,” laughs Tre of a potential recruitment of his brother. “But I don’t want to get involved in all that stuff it could get messy.”

You can register for the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink walk here.