Spurs rookie Carter Bryant’s star is rising, and he’s just been named as an injury replacement in Castrol Rising Stars at All-Star Weekend.
Bryant was already in his hometown of Los Angeles to participate in the Dunk Contest, and will step in for Vince Carter’s team in Friday night’s showcase of young talent. Bryant was born in Riverside in 2005, five years after Vince Carter’s iconic Dunk Contest performance. The NBA made the announcement Friday morning that Bryant would step in for Cedric Coward, who is out with a sore right knee. The event tips off at 8 p.m. Central on NBC and Peacock.
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San Antonio selected Bryant with the 14th pick in the 2025 draft as a big, explosive athlete on the wing. The Spurs are increasing Bryant’s workload in recent weeks, and he’s found a foothold as a defense-focused forward off the bench. Bryant got sent up to Austin for a single game, and since then he’s making the most of his opportunities with the big team.
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"I think he can be really good,” said Stephon Castle, who will be on the same Rising Stars team as fellow Spur Dylan Harper. “I don't want to put a cap on his game. I feel like he has a very unique game, especially with the way he defends. I don't think he's shown what his offensive game can be yet. So just as he gets more comfortable and as he grows with our coaches and our system, I think he'll start to show more of that. But he's already put his defense on display. I think he'll be good for years to come."
In six games in February Bryant is averaging 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 stocks in 16.7 minutes per game. He’s shooting 44% on 4.2 3-point attempts per game in that stretch, all wins for the Spurs.
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"The game is slowing down for him," Julian Champagnie said. "I think he's been doing a really good job. Obviously, he's still a rookie, so he's going to make some mistakes ... (but) he wants to be the best he can. I'm happy that he's figuring it out."
“When you have a young player, they're never mistake free, so once they figure out that, then sometimes they're free to play with more effort and energy, because the mistakes will be there, and they're going to get yelled at, and they're going to be held accountable, and they're going to continue to learn from them,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, who is coaching one of the teams in the All-Star Game on Sunday.
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“I think a lot of times for young guys, and it's a good trait, because that means they care, but when they're trying to not make mistakes, they're trying to be perfect at times, I think you see instances where they don't trust their instincts,” Johnson said. “And most of the guys that get to this league have good instincts, and so it's just It's rewarding to see a young man continue to grow incrementally in that way.”