Losing the first two games of the NBA season might cause a scare.
But the San Antonio Spurs weren't fazed when they did so this month and rebounded with two straight wins.
Veteran forward Harrison Barnes explained the mindset that the defending Western Conference champions are carrying in the 2026-27 campaign.
"Every day, we kind of pursue a standard, and I think to start the season, we were able to look around the locker room and say that we weren't at the standard that we wanted to play at," he told USA TODAY Sports in an interview on behalf of UNICEF. "So I think for us, it's just a matter of can we go out every single night and be happy with the product that we put on the floor?"
Brushing off the fright of the early season, Barnes, 34, wants
people to embrace a not-so-spooky Halloween tradition: Trick-or-Treat with UNICEF. He is a spokesman for the organization's 76-year program, which he participated in as a kid. The little orange cardboard box that kids take with them to not only ask for candy, but for cash to help underprivileged children, creates a sense of nostalgia for the veteran forward.
"UNICEF is an organization that I know very well," he said. "This Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is something that I did as a kid, and I truly believe that it's important to give back and to bring awareness to children that are in need."
Barnes has fond memories of trick-or-treating with his younger sister, Jourdan-Ashle Barnes, and comparing whose candy haul was better. He now shares the joy of Halloween with his daughter, who Barnes says enjoys dressing up as characters from "Frozen," "Moana" and "Encanto."
"It was always something that was fun for us," he said. "And you know, as a father, you want to pass on some of those same values to your children."
When he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks back in 2018, Barnes credited his mother, Shirley, for teaching him the importance of helping others. She experienced homelessness when Barnes was a baby and, when her children were older, they assisted in organizing clothes for her charity, Suited For Work Clothing Closet.
"When you look at how all of us got here, it was a healthy foundation. It took a village, right?" he said. "It took a lot of people investing in our futures. And I think that having an equitable start at the beginning of a child's life obviously gives them the most potential to achieve anything that they want to achieve."
Families can order their Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF boxes online and then donate the proceeds from Halloween via CoinStar, credit card or check. The organization was also responsible for the photo shoot where Lionel Messi gave a baby Lamine Yamal a bath. The image served as a wink of destiny as Yamal's Spain beat Messi's Argentina in this summer's World Cup final.
Besides being a leader for his family and in the community, Barnes signed a one-year contract extension over the summer to continue his role as a mentor for the Spurs. He won the 2015 NBA championship as a member of the Golden State Warriors and is in his third year with San Antonio, calling the deal "an unbelievable opportunity."
"The biggest thing I can lend is my voice, my experience, just in terms of trying to be a little bit of just emotional stability for the group," he said. "Obviously, we have so much talent on our roster that I think it's always important just to kind of stay level-headed. And hopefully, if we continue to do that, like I said, and stick to the things we know to be true on the floor, I think we'll put ourselves in a good position most nights."
The star of San Antonio that has the basketball world on high alert is Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old was the Defensive Player of the Year last season and set a blocks record in the playoffs. In USA TODAY's preseason ranking of the top 100 players in the league, Wembanyama is No. 3.
Barnes shared what he thinks makes the French sensation stand out.
"Victor's great. He's one of my closest friends on the team," he said. "I think the thing that makes him an unbelievable basketball player, but also just a great person in general is that he's a constant learner, and he has an extreme curiosity of how to improve himself.
"I think he finds ways on and off the court to just grow, develop, talk to people, get experiences, learn. I think that's what's allowed him to be on the trajectory that he's on right now."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harrison Barnes not spooked by Spurs' start, speaks on giving back with UNICEF
