Stephon Castle

2024 Rookie Ultimates

ULTIMATESeries 2024-25LEMint 1San Antonio Spurs

Basketball’s talk shows often refer to the Rookie of the Year as “the award you can only win once.” And thus, perhaps it only made sense for 2024-25’s trophy to reside in the case of a player well-versed in proving his rarity from Day One. A few months removed from cutting the nets as a National Championship-winning freshman at UConn, the San Antonio Spurs’ No. 4 pick sustained winning habits in October 24, 2024’s debut against the Dallas Mavericks. Many of the traits that left Castle in rarefied air by season’s end — the lightning-quick handle, fearless around-the-rim finishes, and pull-up productivity — were evident immediately, as Castle helped the youthful Spurs play the NBA Finals runner-ups competitively. Castle’s closing tally included eight points (on three-of-seven shooting), three rebounds, and five assists. Among the countless ways of determining how elite one’s young core is, Alamo City got the ultimate indication through back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners, as Castle, an overwhelming first-place favorite, led all rookies in points (1,190) and steals (74), complementing his well-balanced season averages.