Carter Bryant is honored to join the Spurs: 'I don't think it has hit me yet'
Bryant helped the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and one assist on 37.1% shooting from 3-point range. He scored in double figures five times, including a season-high-tying 14 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks on Jan. 27.
The 19-year-old and fellow draft pick Dylan Harper join a team on the rise, with Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, among other players. The opportunity to join a team with five championship banners hanging in the Victory Capital Performance Center is exciting for him.
"I think for me, it is just another motivator," Bryant said. "I've always been an individual that is self-driven, always had dreams and aspirations of winning championships but being able to walk into a building and see these every day, it just adds that extra motivation of what you need to accomplish because it is what the people before you have done and that is the standard."
The Spurs won five times under former coach Gregg Popovich, the fifth-most championships in history. Though the team is headed in a new direction with Mitch Johnson, the expectation within the organization is that it can begin competing with a new core of players.
The front office was thrilled to add Bryant, who is highly touted for his scoring potential, playmaking ability and size. He also proved to be a reliable floor spacer after connecting on at least two 3-pointers in 12 games with the Wildcats.
Bryant won't have to wait long to get started with the Spurs, with the team beginning training camp before the NBA Summer League on Tuesday. He, along with Harper, will get his first taste of the league and is eager to get started with his teammates.
"I'm just ready to get to work," Bryant said. "I don't think it has hit me yet, to be completely honest with you. I have moments before I go to bed, like, 'Wow! I'm really a San Antonio Spur,' or 'I really got to shake Adam Silver's hand and I get to go to a great organization.' I'll wake up in the morning and be like, 'I get to play basketball for a living. This is pretty dope. This is what I dreamed of my whole life.' Eight-year-old Carter would be geeked right now."
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