Stanley Umude’s Wild Week: From NBA Debut to G League Hero in His Hometown
Stanley Umude’s past few days have been the kind of whirlwind every young hooper dreams about-but few ever get to live. One moment, he’s suiting up for the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA game.
The next, he’s back with the Austin Spurs, lighting it up in front of a home crowd in San Antonio. For the local kid, it’s been a stretch filled with emotion, opportunity, and a whole lot of hustle.
Fresh off his NBA debut in the Spurs’ win over the Orlando Magic, Umude was back in action Wednesday afternoon-this time leading the Austin Spurs to a 104-95 win over the Texas Legends at Frost Bank Center. And he didn’t just play-he starred. Umude dropped a game-high 25 points and was named Player of the Game, showing the kind of poise and scoring punch that’s becoming his calling card.
“If somebody told me in middle school, elementary school, that I was going to be playing in front of my hometown, I probably would have believed them then,” Umude said after the game. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. A lot of people don’t get this opportunity, so the emotions are all over the place.”
That emotion was backed by production. Umude’s impact was felt most when the game was hanging in the balance.
With things knotted at 66 late in the third quarter, Austin flipped the switch-and Umude was right in the middle of it. The Spurs opened the fourth on a 24-4 run, with Umude pouring in 15 of his 25 points in the second half.
It was the kind of takeover performance that turns heads, especially from a player juggling the demands of a two-way contract.
“The two-way situation, it could come at any time,” Umude said. “I got the call, I think the night after our last game in Austin. They told me I’m gonna be in San Antonio for the week and possibly have a chance to dress.”
That call came at the tail end of a chaotic weekend for the Spurs. After a loss in Charlotte, the team was stuck in North Carolina due to heavy winter weather that shut down Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The travel delay forced the team to switch planes in Atlanta and delayed their return to San Antonio-twice. With the team scrambling to make it back in time for Sunday’s home game against Orlando, Umude was called up and suited up.
“I think (Stephon Castle), last second, didn’t play. So I got the opportunity,” Umude said. “Checking in for the first time in my hometown team, it was a big deal.”
He logged just two minutes in that game, but they were two minutes that mattered. With that appearance, Umude became just the fifth player in Spurs franchise history to play in an NBA game after attending a local high school. That’s no small feat, especially in a basketball-rich region like South Texas.
“It’s not easy, what these two-way guys have to do and bouncing back and forth,” said Austin Spurs head coach Jacob Chance. “Lot of room to grow, as I’m sure he would admit, but he’s trending in the right direction.”
Now, Umude and the Austin Spurs turn their attention to Saturday’s matchup against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, Texas.
For Umude, this week has been a reminder that the grind pays off-and that the dream of making it in the NBA doesn’t always come in a straight line. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a two-minute debut, a dominant G League performance, and the chance to shine in front of your hometown crowd.