Spurs Starter, Saturday, September 7, 2024: Victor Wembanyama Shows Off New Hair

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.
Jan 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks down the court in the second half against the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center.
Jan 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks down the court in the second half against the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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Happy Saturday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your afternoon Spurs Starter.

There remains one month until the San Antonio Spurs take the floor at Frost Bank Center for the first preseason game of the year against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That day, Victor Wembanyama will showcase snippets of what could be to come in his second season.

He also might be donning a new hairstyle.

In a recent Instagram post, the 20-year-old star was seen playing soccer on a beach, among other things, during some much-needed relaxation time over the offseason. What caught the attention of many, however, were his braids.

His pre-season hairdo isn't the first of its kind. Prior to his rookie season, a viral clip showing Wembanyama with hair dye similar to his teammate, Jeremy Sochan created discourse surrounding the young team's chemistry. This year, it's more about his confidence than anything else.

Even if he opts not to keep it for the season, however, he's likely to make strides in his overall performance.

Now, here are some headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: BLAKE WESLEY HAS A LOT TO PROVE WITH SPURS, SO WHY CAN'T HE?

The San Antonio Spurs have plenty of young pieces next to Victor Wembanyama to work with. Blake Wesley is no exception, and he's looking to prove himself as he enters Year 3 in the NBA.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: HARRISON BARNES IS MORE THAN JUST A LOCKER ROOM PRESENCE

Next on the list of names poised for big seasons with the San Antonio Spurs not named Victor Wembanyama is Harrison Barnes. The veteran comes to the Silver & Black with plenty of experience and a strong shot, both of which could prove useful.

Watch the latest episode of The San Antonio Minute to find out more:

3. READ: SAN ANTONIO SPURS DRAFT HISTORY, NBA & ABA

Take a look at every pick in San Antonio Spurs history, dating back to the 1967 ABA draft when the team was known as the Dallas Chaparrals.

Read the full story at the link 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 45 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 will be released at 2 p.m. Central, but the entire preseason schedule, the NBA Cup slate and the Christmas Day schedule has.

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

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

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

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

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Oct. 24: Season Opener at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 26: Home opener vs. Houston Rockets

Nov. 15: Group Play Begins vs. Los Angeles Lakers

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.

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 Saturday.

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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.