After going undefeated in the preseason for the just the third time in team history — the other two were 1977-78, when George Gervin finished 2nd in MVP voting and first in scoring, and 1997-98: Tim Duncan’s
rookie year when they made an NBA-record 36-win improvement — the San Antonio Spurs look primed to make another leap this season. The reasons why are obvious: Victor Wembaynama is healthy and looking like a potential top 5 player in the league, they have a second potential All-Star in De’Aaron Fox (once healthy), Stephon Castle looks primed for a sophomore year jump, and the depth the Spurs have added this offseason looks like it will keep things rolling even when the starters rest or injuries occur.
However, one factor being overlooked in the Spurs’ rise is their two longest tenured players: Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell. Both are often undervalued or even scrutinized as players who made their money as the Spurs’ leading scorers during tanking seasons and are often merely seen as their two best “bargaining chips” (a.k.a. most “tradable” players), but they should be getting more credit for where the team is today. And no, not just because of their play on the court — it would be impossible to deny that Wemby is the main reason for more wins — but rather how they have helped not just keep The Spurs Way alive, but also helped it survive so it could be ushered into a new era.
For anyone who is unfamiliar, The Spurs’ Way came to be during their championship heyday under Gregg Popovich and the Big Three. It has always been defined by unselfishness on and off the court combined with an accepting environment for all. It’s a culture few other franchises in all of sports have been able to maintain because those values can be difficult to keep during trying times and constant roster turnover, but Johnson and Vassell have helped keep it going in San Antonio throughout the most challenging stretch in franchise history.
Johnson was initially a bit of an afterthought when he has drafted at 29th overall in 2019, a pick that came from the Raptors as part of the trade that sent championship staples Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto in return for DeMar DeRozan and Jacob Poeltl. Johnson wasn’t even their highest drafted player that summer — that would be all-time bust Luka Samanic at 19th — and spent most of his rookie season in Austin before bursting onto the scene in the COVID Bubble. Being a small part of the first Spurs team to miss the playoffs in 22 years didn’t hurt his stock with fans, but it did lead to their first ever lottery pick since Tim Duncan, which ended up being Vassell at 11th overall in 2020.
Both players would go on to be solid contributors in a couple of play-in appearances in 2021 and 2o22, but ultimately it would become time to tear things down and rebuild, which meant both players’ top scoring seasons would come in tanking seasons (2022-23 for Johnson, 2023-24 for Vassell). That may have added unrealistic expectations while also stereotyping them into not being “winning” players despite circumstances mostly out of their control, and as a result, both players have endured countless trade rumors and scrutiny for the rookie contract extensions (especially Vassell, who has also struggled with injuries off and on, although continuous skyrocketing of the CBA has already made his deal look much more in line with what he’s worth relative to current players today).
Still, those who can see past just the numbers and their win/loss record should understand how valuable they truly have been and continue to be for the Spurs organization. They’re two completely opposite personalities, but both are leaders. Johnson is the locker room leader: loud and energetic, funny and encouraging. Vassell is much more quiet and understated but leads by example and always with a smile.
Both have also been unselfish in their roles despite having experienced being the main focal point on offense at one point or another. Johnson has embraced the role of sixth man despite starting more often than not in his career, and it’s arguable he would have gotten consideration for Sixth Man on the Year last season if the Spurs had a better record, as we was the league’s third leading scorer off the bench. He should be a dark horse candidate for the award this season. Vassell has also embraced a lesser role and showed in the preseason that he is ready and willing to be a secondary scorer.
They have been accepting and welcoming of all new comers, be they a potential star or just training camp invitees. They don’t begrudge anyone who may be coming for their minutes, but rather treat them with has much respect as anyone else. Finally, both (and especially Johnson) have taken on a Patty Mills-type role as two of the teams’ biggest cheerleaders, constantly cheering, jumping and hugging teammates after big plays, whether they’re on the bench or in the game.
The Spurs Way has always been about much more than just winning; it’s about being a family and sticking together through thick and thin. The Spurs’ two longest-tenured players may not be their best or winningest ever, but they’re the leaders of team quickly being ushered into a new era. Even with Pop no longer on the sidelines and the original carriers of The Way long gone, it continues to live on, and that’s in no small part thanks to two underappreciated but charismatic Spurs. Their names are Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, and we should all be eternally grateful to them for carrying the torch from one generation to the next.
