San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle wins the NBA Rookie of the Year as his family celebrates his achievement.
SAN ANTONIO — To no one’s surprise, San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Stephon Castle was awarded the NBA’s 2024-25 Rookie of the Year.
But in that milestone, he was surrounded by family at the Victory Capital Performance Center as TNT read his name on national television.
Call it icing on the cake for the NBA’s best first-year pro.
“That meant the world,” he said. “They’ve been there every step of the way.”
His mother, father and other family members attended the ceremony, at which Castle was presented with the award by the franchise’s past winners, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Victor Wembanyama.
They soaked in each word he said, heard applause for Castle, and saw a few of his current teammates – Harrison Ingram, Keldon Johnson and De’Aaron Fox – share the moment with him.
Not to mention how active his mother is on X. She shares her pride in her son’s every moment on the court, leading up to his Rookie of the Year honor.
“We can’t predict the future, but just them being there and seeing my dream come true, it definitely means the world,” he said.
There was no doubt the Spurs guard would take home the award.
He led all rookies in several statistical categories: Points scored (1,070), steals (69) and field goals made and attempted. He also ended his rookie campaign, averaging 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He twice won the NBA Rookie of the Month Award and exploded in March, posting 20.6 points per game on 49% shooting.
He received 92 of a possible 100 first-place Rookie of the Year votes, making the Spurs the fifth team in NBA history to have back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners since the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Timberwolves (Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns).
Castle understands he’ll be targeted more on the court next season, but is ready for the challenge. He thanked his teammates for their support and expressed how impactful it was for him last season.
His hard work culminated in the Rookie of the Year honors, and his budding NBA career has plenty more accolades on the horizon.
“This was definitely a goal of mine coming into the year,” he said.