Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Monday, July 29, 2024: Sean Elliott Shares Health Update After Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.

Matt Guzman

Sean Elliott pictured in a hospital gown at Methodist Healthcare in San Antonio following a successful cardioversion treatment for atrial fibrillation.
Sean Elliott pictured in a hospital gown at Methodist Healthcare in San Antonio following a successful cardioversion treatment for atrial fibrillation. / Photo via Sean Elliott on Instagram
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Happy Monday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your morning Spurs Starter.

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott retired from the NBA in 2001, but since then, he's remained strong and lively. Over the weekend, however, he and his wife decided it best to have the 56-year-old screened for atrial fibrillation after several alerts via his Apple Watch.

"Sean wasn’t experiencing any symptoms," Claudia Zapata-Elliott wrote on Instagram. "but for the last couple of weeks, his Apple Watch had been warning him he was in atrial fibrillation — also known A-Fib. It’s when the heart beats irregularly and chaotically and untreated, can lead to a stroke."

READ MORE: Behind Tre Jones' Mission of Advocacy in Mom's Honor

Elliott has a history of medical problems, including a kidney transplant that he underwent due to a focal segmental glomerulosclerosis diagnosis just after winning his lone NBA championship with the Spurs.

His experience with A-Fib was completely separate from that, but naturally, was a cause for concern.

Luckily the former player, a successful cardioversion treatment allowed him to begin a road to recovery. And if all goes well, Elliott can get back to supporting the Silver & Black and making appearances in and around the community.

Sean Elliott pictured at an event hosted by Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant in San Antonio in May.
Sean Elliott pictured with then-Methodist GI Lab nurse Maria Pinales at an event hosted by Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant in San Antonio in May. / Photo via Maria Pinales

Now, onto the headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SHOWS OUT ON WORLD STAGE IN BLOWOUT WIN

The San Antonio Spurs' reigning NBA Rookie of the Year was a dominating force against Brazil in preliminary round of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as France took an opening-game victory.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. READ: DAVID DUKE JR. READY TO MAXIMIZE 2-WAY ROLE WITH SPURS

David Duke Jr. has shown promise throughout his time with the San Antonio Spurs both in his appearances for the mainstay roster and at summer league, which landed him another two-way deal and a chance to prove himself.

Read the full story at the link above.

San Antonio Spurs guard David Duke Jr. (7) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7).
Apr 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard David Duke Jr. (7) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

3. READ: WHY SPURS TRAVERSED THE OFFSEASON THE RIGHT WAY

A patient approach to the offseason was expected from the San Antonio Spurs as they look to build a "superpower" around Victor Wembanyama. This offseason validated that mindset, and simply put, it was a good one for the young team.

Read the full story above.

THE DRAFT

Now that the 2024 NBA Draft is over, you can check out the newest Spurs and what they might bring to the team next season and down the road. Below are the some stories about the rookies selected:

Round 1, Pick No. 4: Stephon Castle

Round 2, Pick No. 36: Juan Núñez

Round 2, Pick No. 48: Harrison Ingram

THE SCHEDULE

There are 87 days until opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, but the San Antonio Spurs have more to look forward to prior to that. The regular season schedule has yet to be released, but the entire preseason schedule — also still a ways away — has.

There, the team will get its first chance to hit the floor with a complete roster. Also of note, Victor Wembanyama and Team France are competing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Below is a list of dates and start times (all in CST) for both sets of games:

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

Oct. 7: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Tipoff at 7 p.m.)
Oct. 9: Home vs. Orlando Magic (Tipoff at 7 p.m.)
Oct. 12: Home vs. Utah Jazz (Tipoff at 7 p.m.)

Oct. 15: Away at Miami Heat (Tipoff at 6:30 p.m.)
Oct. 17: Away at Houston Rockets (Tipoff at 7 p.m.)

Team France Olympic Slate

July 27: France vs. Brazil (W 78-66)
July 30: France vs. Japan (Tipoff at 12:15 p.m.)
Aug. 2: France vs. Germany (Tipoff at 2 p.m.)

AROUND THE NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

Also, be sure to follow along with Spurs On SI's NBA tracker, with more detailed breakdowns of major league news and updates.

THE CLOSER

Check out our homepage for more news and follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Monday.

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Matt Guzman

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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