Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Saturday, November 16, 2024: Chris Paul Reaches 12,000 Career Assists

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

Matt Guzman

Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) saves the ball from going out of bounds during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center.
Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) saves the ball from going out of bounds during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
In this story:

Happy Saturday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your evening Spurs Starter.

Friday evening, the San Antonio Spurs came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers in a contest featuring nine lead changes and a near 30-point performance from Victor Wembanyama, but while the Silver & Black were on the wrong side of the record books for the evening, Chris Paul was a different story.

The 20-year veteran, finding Wembanyama on a lob dunk, notched assist No. 12,000 on his career, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only three players in NBA history to reach the milestone.

"To be second behind John Stockton," Paul said, "(it's) really cool."

Paul now sits 91 assists behind Kidd and has quite a ways to go if he aims to catch Stockton, though that's not atop his mind. Instead, he'll continue playing his brand of basketball in San Antonio as the Spurs continue to play for a Play-In tournament berth.

"Hooping," as he calls it.

Now, onto the headlines.

THE NEWS

1. READ: NO MATTER THE VOICE, POPOVICH'S IMPACT LOOMS

The San Antonio Spurs provided an update on Gregg Popovich's health Wednesday morning, leaving the timeline for his return uncertain but his immediate status optimistic.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. LOOK: SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS TO GREGG POPOVICH NEWS

On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs revealed that Popovich suffered a stroke on November 2, addressing questions regarding his absence.

Read the full story at the link above.

3. READ: WEMBANYAMA MAKES HISTORY WITH 50-POINT PERFORMANCE

The San Antonio Spurs, spearheaded by Victor Wembanyama's 50-point performance, held on against the Washington Wizards Wednesday night. Beyond the win, the 20-year-old also made history in a few regards.

Read the full story at the link above.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE

  • Spurs at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. Central

MEDIA DAY, TRAINING CAMP

Now that the Media Day is over and the 2024-25 season is set to kick off, you can check out the stories surrounding the team as it gears up for the beginning of the regular season.

- The Ultimate Guide to Spurs Training Camp

- Everything Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Said at Media Day

- Victor Wembanyama is 'Funnier' as Spurs Prepare for New Season

- Chris Paul and Gregg Popovich, Once Rivals, Now Set to Join Forces

- Wembanyama Adds 25 Pounds Ahead of His Second NBA Season

- Chris Paul Enters San Antonio as Polished Veteran, Mutual Choice

- Keldon Johnson Is Back For Year 6, and Feels Like the Old Man

- Wembanyama 'Working on Fundamentals' Ahead of Sophomore Year

- Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul Share Comical Moment During Media Day

- Gregg Popovich Looking Forward To Season of Improvemen

- Castle Impresses Spurs Early with Versatility and 'Own Pace'

- Wembanyama Sets Next Big Goal: Elevating His Spurs Teammates

- Alpine F1 Team Announce New Era Clothing Collaboration

- Gregg Popovich Likes New, Improved Victor Wembanyama

- Is Stephon Castle's Jump Shot A Genuine Problem?


- Jeremy Sochan Ready to Thrive at 'Natural' Position

- Will Julian Champagnie Start In Place of Devin Vassell?

- Zach Collins 'Feeling Great' After Shoulder Surgery

- Harrison Barnes Speaks on Young Spurs' Winning Mentality

- Castle Speaks on Spurs' 'Aggressive' Defensive Mindset

- Keldon Johnson Focused on Getting Better, Sticking Around

- Champagnie's Approach to Begin New Season? 'Just Keep Shooting'

- How Can Sandro Mamukelashvili Earn Rotational Minutes?

THE FULL SCHEDULE

The San Antonio Spurs played their first game of the year on Oct. 25, kicking off the second season of Victor Wembanyama's young NBA career. Now that it's through, here's a preview of some upcoming dates and times (all in CST) throughout the season to watch for:

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Dec. 10: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Begin
Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

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.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Sometimes being quiet and letting the player play is much more important than trying to be Mr. Coach ... I think as time evolves and you get older in the business, you figure out what’s really important. You don’t waste time trying to make people what they’re not going to be.”

- Gregg Popovich

THIS DAY IN SPURS HISTORY

November 16, 1976: Acquired Mack Calvin from the L.A. Lakers.

November 16, 2015: Tim Duncan recorded his 2,955th career block moving into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time blocks list. With the rejection against Portland, Duncan also passed David Robinson to become San Antonio’s all-time franchise leader in blocks.

THE CLOSER

Check out our home page for more news and be sure follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in, and enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

  • Subscribe To Our Newsletter Here
Published
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.

Home/News