Stephon Castle took shots at the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder squad as the San Antonio guard looks to get the Spurs back to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Castle is preparing for the third season of his budding career with the Spurs. He played a crucial role in helping San Antonio make the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. However, they lost in five games to the New York Knicks.
Castle and teammate Dylan Harper did an exclusive interview with Cam Wolf of GQ. Wolf asked them about avoiding the failures of potential dynasties, referring to the 2012 Thunder. That team boasted superstar talents like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden as they lost the NBA Finals that year to the Miami Heat. However, that trio never lasted as the team traded Harden to the Houston Rockets that summer.
“When I conjure the ghost of would-be dynasties past, Harper and Castle both assert that this Spurs team is built to withstand the forces that undid those teams,” Wolf wrote.
“Because we don’t have no egos. They had strong egos in that locker room. Strong-a** egos,” Castle says, referring to that star-studded 2012 Thunder squad.
“That’s why we’re so good,” Harper says. “We’ve got eight people on the team that, if we all had an ego, we wouldn’t blend together.”
Article Continues BelowWhat lies ahead for Stephon Castle, Spurs this season
Stephon Castle and the Spurs have promising potential this season following the NBA Finals berth. With Victor Wembanyama leading the franchise, the sky's the limit when it comes to what they can accomplish as a young and talented core.
San Antonio finished with a 60-22 record last season, good for second in the West. They beat the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves and Thunder before losing to the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
San Antonio will get its campaign underway with five preseason contests, starting with the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 8 then ending with the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 16. Their regular season will begin at home with a West Finals rematch against the Thunder on Oct. 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET.