Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Thursday, September 5, 2024: Shaquille O'Neal Names 'Worst' NBA Player Of All Time

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

Matt Guzman

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; France center Rudy Gobert (27) and power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) celebrate during the first half against Germany in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; France center Rudy Gobert (27) and power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) celebrate during the first half against Germany in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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Happy Thursday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your morning Spurs Starter.

As the NBA offseason continues, the San Antonio Spurs remain in the gym preparing for the beginning of the regular season, but former players take the time to get their thoughts out.

Shaquille O'Neal is no exception.

In a recent interview with Complex, the former Los Angeles Lakers star answered a question opposite the typical ones posed to legacy players. Instead of naming his "Greatest Player of All Time," he named the worst.

"Rudy Gobert," O'Neal said promptly. "If you sign a contract for $250 (million), show me 250. There's a reason I walk funny, why I can't turn my neck ... I played for my $120 (million)."

The big man has long been a critic of Gobert's game, this time going as far as to say he doesn't put forth effort on the court. That may be just his opinion, however.

READ MORE: How Would Wembanyama Have Fared in the Western Conference Finals?

However it's spun, opinions from former stars don't tend to carry much weight in the NBA. Gobert has his contract, and he has a spot on the Minnesota Timberwolves for next season as they look to return to the playoffs and make another run.

Now, here are some headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: STEPHON CASTLE KNOWS WINNING, NOW HAS CHANCE TO KEEP AT IT

Joining the Spurs fresh off an NCAA title will be an adjustment for Stephon Castle, but with his winning background, he's well-positioned to be a pivotal piece in the young team's rebuilding effort.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: WHAT IS '5 BEYOND WEMBY?'

Last season, '5 Beyond Wemby' was a way to highlight five players beyond Victor Wembanyama who were poised for bigger roles. This season, though there are some more well-known names, the sentiment remains.

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

3. READ: HOW CAN VICTOR WEMBANYAMA IMPROVE HIS GAME NEXT SEASON?

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama enters his second season with plenty of warranted expectations, but beyond all of the positives of his game, where can the 20-year-old most improve?

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 47 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 Thursday.

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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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