SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs made their first media appearance Monday ahead of the 2026-2027 season. The young Silver and Black team seems focused on growing after their loss in the NBA Finals over the summer.
Media day is the first chance to hear from key players, including Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and the newest Spur, Tobias Harris.
Victor Wembanyama
The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year said his team is in a great spot following the Spurs’ 4-1 loss in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks.
“I couldn’t imagine a better motivation,” Victor Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama itches to return to the playoffs and bring home his first championship in year four of his NBA career. If the Spurs were to win, it would be the franchise’s sixth NBA championship.
He said it feels reassuring to know that the Spurs have passionate fans who have the team’s back.
“What we saw during the playoffs in general and leading up to the finals was amazing,” Wembanyama said. “People waiting for us at the airport. People showing love and support.”
De’Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox said he won’t overlook the regular season because making it to the NBA Finals is tough, but returning is even harder.
“We’ve seen teams that have won in the past five, six years and haven’t gotten past the second round since then,” Fox said. “We’re not coming in here thinking we’re going to cakewalk to the finals again.”
Dylan Harper
The NBA Finals defeat stuck with sophomore point guard Dylan Harper. He said it probably will be with him forever, especially losing so close to his hometown of New Jersey.
“I really don’t like going back there a lot,” Harper said. “That’s probably a moment we will never forget. I personally use it as fuel to a fire for the whole year and for years to come.”
Stephon Castle
The third-year guard is happy the Spurs retained last season’s key players, though he said it will be a lot harder to get back into the position they were in last year.
“Our team has gotten better. We brought all the troops back,” Castle said. “We have a lot of clarity on why we feel like we lost and what we can do to get better.”
Head coach Mitch Johnson
“What-if” is a question head coach Mitch Johnson contemplated for months, but he said it didn’t start after losing the NBA Finals — he estimated it began around May 5, 2025.
“You just ride the never-ending current of this league,” Johnson said. “When you’re a head coach for the first time going through your first training camp, the amount of overthinking, what-ifs, second-guessing, insecurities happen quite often, and it led us all the way to June 13.”
June 13 was the last time Johnson coached a game in the 94-90 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals at home. He said it was nice to digest the defeat this offseason and start reflecting to improve next season.
Tobias Harris
Reporters welcomed Tobias Harris, a 16-year pro, to San Antonio on Monday. The newest Spurs forward has played for several teams across his career and averages roughly 16 points per game on the court.
“Ever since I came to the league, this has been an organization that epitomized excellence,” Harris said.
Julian Champagnie
An NBA starting lineup requires five players, and the Spurs believe they have more than that.
Former G-League player Julian Champagnie enters his fifth season with the Spurs, and he said he doesn’t care if he starts or not, as long as he contributes to winning basketball.
“We all have a goal, and our goal is to win,” Champagnie said. “No matter who starts, who doesn’t start, that doesn’t really play a big role in what we’re doing.”
Champagnie and fellow forward Keldon Johnson were among the small group of players to play in every game last season. Both tallied 105 games played, including the playoffs.
Champagnie’s endurance helped the team sign him to a three-year, $45 million contract extension over the summer, and he said he’s grateful the Spurs gave him a chance in the first place.
“San Antonio was the only team that gave me the opportunity that I was looking for,” Champagnie said. “I’m happy that they trust me with doing my job.”
Harrison Barnes
The 15-year veteran said he’s excited for another year with the Spurs after two years of sweat equity and building the foundation for the Spurs’ young core.
“I genuinely enjoy my teammates,” Barnes said. “I’ve enjoyed the process in what we’ve built in a couple of years.”
>> LIVE COVERAGE: Spurs kick off 2026 season with media day
The team enters the season with the best odds to contend for an NBA title.
That excitement has also led to record demand for tickets and season-ticket memberships, according to Spurs officials.
“We focused a little bit more on partial plans, less full seasons, so that we could have more people in the community that could be a part of this ... the demand is the highest it’s ever been,” said Tim Salier, senior vice president of Business Development, Membership, & Ticket Operations.
The team is expected to release its theme nights and food and drink packages for fans this week.
The Spurs hold their first practice Tuesday.
Their first preseason game is scheduled for Oct. 8.
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
Read also:
