The San Antonio Spurs have spent the offseason reinforcing something Gregg Popovich built into the franchise from the ground up: real connection. For this group, chemistry isn’t just a nice extra. It’s part of the identity.
That’s been especially clear around Victor Wembanyama, who has emerged as one of the biggest reasons the culture feels so strong. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year believes that bond could even give San Antonio an advantage over other teams with title hopes.
One of the clearest examples came in August, when Wembanyama brought a chunk of the Spurs core to Paris. The point of the trip was simple enough: let teammates experience the French star’s roots and spend time working out at Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez. It turned into something deeper, giving the group a level of familiarity that not every NBA locker room gets to build.
"They were willing to make this trip, and they were also curious about what I wanted to show them. So it matters because these people matter to me.
This place matters to me. Having the two of them together is kind of the same as when family comes to visit here," Wembanyama declared.
That kind of offseason togetherness has become a hallmark for the Spurs. Instead of spending the summer completely apart, the group has made a point of hanging out, traveling, and getting in the gym together.
The result is more than just good vibes. It helps the players learn each other’s tendencies and carry that understanding back onto the floor.
De'Aaron Fox was part of those offseason get-togethers as well, and he sees the value plainly. He said the team didn’t want to let the entire summer pass without being around one another.
"We had a long season, but you don't want to go the entire summer without being able to be around your teammates and getting in the gym together. Just being able to be around each other, I think, is big. We have a group of guys that like being around each other," the Spurs veteran guard declared.
Coach Mitch Johnson has seen that dynamic up close, and he and Wembanyama watched it develop firsthand after the team lost to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The Spurs were left dealing with the pain of watching the Larry O'Brien trophy slip away in five games, but the response inside the locker room was to stay connected, support one another, and keep the bigger goal in view for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Popovich is still around the organization and continues to weigh in on schemes and rotations with Johnson at times, but the most important thing about this team isn’t drawn up on a clipboard. It’s the willingness to show up for each other, even when they don’t have to. That’s the piece that should make Popovich smile.
In Other News...
Spurs Just Got Burned By An NBA Problem Fans Hate
The frustration around NBA officiating has been simmering for a while, and Spurs fans have had plenty of reason to notice it. When a game turns into a debate about traveling violations and the way fouls are called for offensive players, it can leave viewers feeling like the rules only apply when they are convenient. Around the league, players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and LaMelo Ball have become part of that conversation, while San Antonio has had its own close look at how inconsistent enforcement can shape what happens on the floor.
For the Spurs, the issue hits especially hard because it touches the kind of young, developing roster that needs clear standards as much as anything else. Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell are part of a team trying to build rhythm and trust possession by possession, and constant uncertainty about what will and will not be called only adds to the irritation. The broader debate is not going away anytime soon, and for San Antonio, it is another reminder that the most basic parts of the game still do not always feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Have Seen This NBA Officiating Problem For Too Long
A familiar frustration has followed the league into another stretch of games, and Spurs fans know the feeling well. In recent nights, the conversation has centered on the same old complaints about NBA officiating: traveling violations that seem to go uncalled, defenders being whistled for barely any contact, and a general sense that the standard changes from game to game. Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell have all been part of the broader discussion, which has only added fuel to the outrage.
For San Antonio, the annoyance is less about one isolated sequence than the pattern itself. Fans have seen these debates before, and the concern is not just about a missed call here or there, but about how consistently the rules are enforced when the game gets tight and the physicality rises. Until the league gives supporters a clearer sense of where the line is, every questionable whistle will keep landing with the same old mix of disbelief and exasperation. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Wembanyama Just Got A Brutal Reality Check From An NBA Legend
Victor Wembanyamas first game of the season gave the Spurs plenty to like on the defensive end, with the young star still impacting possessions through rebounds and blocks even as his shot deserted him. It was enough to keep the opener from turning into a total concern in San Antonio, but not enough to quiet the conversation around how much his offseason work has actually sharpened the rest of his game.
Carmelo Anthony helped push that skepticism into the spotlight, questioning whether the training Wembanyama did in the offseason will show up consistently when the games start counting. Wembanyama had worked with Hakeem Olajuwon and even added rugby drills to his regimen, but Anthony made clear he wants to see whether those efforts translate over the course of the season, which is the real test the Spurs are now facing. [Read more 🡒]