Ex-Spurs Cory Joseph Reflects on Time with Coaching Staff, Tony Parker, & Wild 1st Season

"I got drafted by the Spurs, which was the best situation for me and for my career," Joseph said. "I'm thankful everyday that I got drafted by them. They really invested a lot of time into me and that's all you can ask for."

It has become fairly difficult to look around rosters in the NBA and not see former San Antonio Spurs impacting new teams.

But one former Spur has seemed to fly under the radar despite remaining a staple in the league for over a decade now with five different teams. Heading into his second full season with the Detroit Pistons, point guard Cory Joseph still hasn't forgotten about his time in San Antonio and how it launched his career to new heights. 

Joseph spoke to Jefe Island, a multimedia hoops platform that has conducted numerous interviews with current and former NBA players about the draft process and what getting selected by the Spurs at No. 29 overall in 2011 meant to him before becoming an NBA champion in 2014. 

"I got drafted by the Spurs, which was the best situation for me and for my career," Joseph said. "I'm thankful every day that I got drafted by them."

The Toronto native spent one year up the road in Austin with the Texas Longhorns before getting drafted at 20-years-old. Even at a such a young age, coach Gregg Popovich and the front office didn't provide Joseph with the usual exciting draft call that most first-round picks get. Classic move from an organization that has always kept things business as usual. 

"San Antonio, man," Joseph said. "They're a great organization, everybody knows that. They're funny, though, cause I didn't even know I was getting drafted by San Antonio until I see my name. Usually, you get the call beforehand ... but I didn't even get the call. David Stern came out and announced my name."

Joseph used four full seasons with the team to develop into an elite finisher with quick burst and separation off the dribble, as well as a reliable playmaker in the backcourt. He served as a vital depth piece and backup point guard behind Tony Parker, but Joseph said the Spurs legend's unique learning style forced him to adjust quick as a rookie during the lockout-shortened offseason in 2011. 

"We had a week of training camp not even, and we were right into games," he said. "So I had to pick things up on the fly, especially with an organization like that. Tony, Manu, Tim, and all those guys had been there for a long time already. So Tony's walking up the court, he's doing hand signals and calling the plays out. And I'm looking like 'damn, I gotta learn all these hand signals.' I gotta learn sign language basically cause he didn't say a word. I had to learn a lot for sure."

This year's NBA Finals features one of Joseph's former assistant coaches, Ime Udoka. He's the head coach for the Boston Celtics, who are currently deadlocked at 2-2 with the Golden State Warriors. Last year's champion Milwaukee Bucks featured another coaching mentor, as Mike Budenholzer led the team to its first ring in over 50 years. 

Joseph says these two, along with a handful of others, put their heart into helping him develop during his first few years in the league, something that he still cherishes to this day.

"I would f*** up sometimes for sure," Joseph said. "But I mean Pop, Chip Engelland, Chad Forcier, Ime Udoka, (Mike) Budenholzer, all of those guys were there when I was there. They helped me a lot and got me up to speed. We worked out before practice, after practice, all the time. They really invested a lot of time into me, and that's all you can ask for." 

After winning a ring in 2014, Joseph spent one more season with the Spurs before signing with his hometown Toronto Raptors in the 2015 offseason. He averaged a career-high 9.3 points in his second year with the team before being dealt to the Indiana Pacers. He's now had stints with the Sacramento Kings and Pistons as he looks to find a permanent home with a rebuilding Detroit team. 

Joseph averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 204 career games with the Spurs. He played 14.9 minutes per game, making 43 starts while shooting 47 percent from the floor. 

And Spurs fans will likely never forget his incredible poster dunk over elite shot-blocker and longtime San Antonio rival in Oklahoma City Serge Ibaka during Game 4 of the 2014 Western Conference Finals. The Spurs lost that game, but it was one of the most memorable plays from a magical championship run.

---

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.