Tue Apr 29 23:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Spurs’ Stephon Castle Crowned NBA Rookie of the Year
**San Antonio, TX –** Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs has been named the NBA Rookie of the Year, continuing the Spurs’ recent dominance in the award. Castle becomes the second consecutive Spurs player to win the prestigious honor, following Victor Wembanyama’s victory last year.
Castle overwhelmingly secured the award, earning 482 points compared to Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher’s 245 points. Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells finished third. The win comes after a standout rookie season for Castle, who was selected fourth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Despite starting the season off the bench, Castle eventually secured a starting role alongside veteran point guard Chris Paul, averaging 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game across 81 appearances. His consistent performance, while battling efficiency struggles, proved key in his victory.
This year’s rookie class was considered relatively weak, with highly touted prospects like Risacher and Washington Wizards’ Alex Sarr struggling to consistently meet expectations. Houston Rockets’ Reed Sheppard, a preseason favorite, also failed to live up to the hype, seeing limited playing time.
Castle’s impressive rookie campaign solidified his position as a cornerstone of the Spurs’ young, promising core, alongside Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox (prior to his injury). With the Spurs likely to be in the draft lottery again, they will have another opportunity to add talent to their burgeoning roster.
First Piper 