2019-2020 SEASON SPURS NEWS

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Spurs Sneaker Jam is here!

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Keldon will attend and fans will get to interact with our rookie:

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The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Spurs Forward Keldon Johnson will visit sneaker enthusiasts at the third annual Spurs Sneaker Jam on Sunday, Sept. 15. Spurs Sneaker Jam will take place on the floor of the AT&T Center from 2-7 p.m. Starting at 3 p.m., Johnson will mingle with eventgoers and take a sneak peek at the latest trends from vendors across the state before answering questions from the media.

The first 300 attendees will receive a custom 2019 Spurs Sneaker Jam t-shirt. Attendees can take photos with Spurs memorabilia including the Spurs championship trophies and banners and other one-of-a-kind items. The event will also feature an appearance by the Coyote, a live music performance from local artist Carlton Zeus, and exclusive giveaways.

Tickets start at just $15 and can be purchased in advance at spurs.com/sneakerjam or on-site at the AT&T Center starting at 1 p.m., and include a ticket to the Spurs regular season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 23 when the Spurs host the New York Knicks.

https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-forward-keldon-johnson-make-appearance-third-annual-spurs-sneaker-jam

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More from Keldon's visit at Spurs Sneaker Jam:

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Rookie Keldon Johnson is a lifelong Spurs fan
Appearing at the Spurs’ third annual Sneaker Jam, the rookie swingman talked about being coached by Tim Duncan, how he’ll judge success next season, and more

It was easy enough to spot the 6’6” Keldon Johnson making his way around the AT&T Center floor on Sunday afternoon, even among the crowds of people and stacks of Yeezys, customized Chuck Taylors, throwback jerseys, Funko figurines and other collectible miscellanea that made up the team’s third annual Sneaker Jam.

After an on-stage Q&A where he touched on the company he signed with upon turning pro (Nike), his favorite shoes (Jordans), and what his own signature shoe might one day look like (kind of like Kobe’s line, he said, but with his own spin on it), the affable 19-year-old made himself available for pictures and autographs as he ambled through the various booths of the event, eventually ending up at a corner of the floor designated for a few questions from the media.

“My favorite team was San Antonio — I swear,” he answered with a toothy smile. “It’s crazy because all my teachers when I was younger asked who my favorite team was. I said San Antonio Spurs....”

Shortly after being drafted by San Antonio, Johnson heard the news of a familiar face returning to the sidelines as a member of the coaching staff. I asked what he was looking forward to about having Coach Tim on the sidelines.

“It’s great being able to have a coach who’s been through all the things you’ll be going through,” he said. “Having him as a coach is definitely a blessing, learning as much as possible from him.”

Following a promising Summer League playing alongside fellow rookies Luka Samanic and Quinndary Weatherspoon, Johnson’s spent time getting acquainted with other teammates:

“I’ve been talking to Dejounte a lot... Bryn. We’ve all been in the gym, playing five on five a lot, playing with LaMarcus. We’ve all just been getting after it a lot and enjoying the process....”

“It’s a process with the Spurs,” Johnson said. “They’ve produced many great players, so just coming in here and trusting the process. The proof is in the pudding — it’s right there... I just want to grow and learn. As long as that happens then I think I’ll have a successful season. Not really gauging it on accolades — I think as long as I’m learning from my coach and the players in front of me, that’s how I’ll gauge my rookie season....”

“I can’t wait, of course. I can’t wait to learn and grow from players on our team and definitely from our coach. I’m ready.”

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/9/15/20867467/rookie-keldon-johnson-san-antonio-spurs-trusts-process

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Some Spurs ticket promotions, giveaways, and celebrations scheduled for this season:

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PREMIUM GIVEAWAYS HIGHLIGHT SAN ANTONIO SPURS 2019-20 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
Bobbleheads Courtesy of H-E-B, Spurs Lotería Cards, and More on Tap for Fans at Select Games

San Antonio Spurs fans can take home a piece of the action this season through a series of exclusive giveaways at select home games. The 2019-20 Spurs season will also feature more than 10 promotional nights and special events throughout the year. The full promotional schedule and links to ticket packages can be found at Spurs.com/TicketPromotions. The 2019-20 Spurs season is presented by H-E-B.

All fans in attendance at the game on Oct. 26 will receive a deck of Spurs Lotería cards, complete with each of the team’s opponents as well as specialty Spurs cards. The Silver and Black will observe Hispanic Heritage Night throughout the game vs. the Washington Wizards in celebration of San Antonio’s rich culture and history.

Flashback Friday, set for Dec. 6, will include throwback t-shirts for every fan in attendance. On March 14, Spurs faithful are invited to celebrate the birthday of fan’s best friend, The Coyote. Fan Appreciation Night returns on April 15 for the final Spurs home game of the regular season. Spurs partners will join forces for hundreds of giveaways throughout the game.

The 2019-20 Spurs schedule features a number of theme nights, including returning fan favorites like the Spurs Salute Night Series presented by USAA, Coyote’s Birthday, and Fan Fiesta presented by Jack Daniel’s. New this season are Hispanic Heritage Night, and Flashback Friday.

https://www.nba.com/spurs/premium-giveaways-highlight-san-antonio-spurs-2019-20-promotional-schedule

The bobblehead giveaways will be for the first 10,000 fans for each game in the series.

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Looks like DeMar has acclimated well and is fitting right in. A fun event for those in San Antonio on October 12th:

DeMar DeRozan bringing exclusive clothing line to San Antonio

The city of San Antonio will become the only city in the United States to carry San Antonio Spurs' DeMar DeRozan's signature clothing line.

DeRozan's "COMP10" line will only be found at San Antonio's "True North SA" on Oct. 12.

The "COMP10" apparel line offers T-shirts, and caps, complete with the line's logo according to the website.

https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/demar-derozan-bringing-exclusive-clothing-line-to-san-antonio

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And DeMar attending is all the more incentive to go!:

Fans invited to meet Spurs' DeMar DeRozan as part of apparel launch

As part of the launch of San Antonio Spurs' DeMar DeRozan's clothing line "COMP10" in San Antonio, San Antonio retailer "True North SA" is hosting a meet and greet with the Spurs guard on Saturday, Oct. 12.

We are happy to announce the launch of COMP10 Apparel. True North sa will be the ONLY retailer in the United States to sell this exclusive apparel.
Also special Meet and Greet with the man himself
Demar DeRozan from 4-6pm

We have spoken with our surrounding neighbors who will be happy to donate additional parking.
Below is the list:
1. Avestee Imaging 303 W. Sunset
2. Ryte Law office 310 W. Sunset
3. I’m just a kid 323 W. Sunset
4. Patrick Fleming 306 W. Sunset
5. Focal point Vision 343 W. Sunset
6. Freddy’s Corporate office 322 W. Sunset
7. Mission Orthodontist 156 W. Sunset & 155 W. Sunset
8. Bart Wilson 106 E. Sunset
9. Shades of Green 334 W. Sunset

https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/fans-invited-to-meet-spurs-demar-derozan-as-part-of-apparel-launch

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The Spurs are filling out coaching and basketball operations positions with key promotions and additions.

Spurs round out coaching staff

The Spurs on Friday announced several moves within their coaching and basketball operations staffs, including the promotion of Mitch Johnson to Gregg Popovich's coaching staff.

Johnson spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Spurs' developmental league team in Austin. A Stanford-ex, Johnson played in the G League and in Europe before becoming a coach. His resume includes one season as an assistant at the University of Portland in 2016....

Popovich will enter training camp with a staff that consists of Becky Hammon; Will Hardy, who was promoted in July from a player development role; Tim Duncan, who returned to the club in July after retiring in 2016 as its greatest player; and Johnson, who fills Hardy's player development role and will sit behind the bench during games.

The club also announced the following promotions and additions to the basketball operations staff: Darius Songalia (player development assistant), Brandon James (vice president of basketball administration and deputy general counsel), Dave Telep (director of player personnel), Adam Glessner (senior director of basketball intelligence), Phil Cullen (director of basketball operations and innovation), Niraj Mulji (director of basketball strategy), Nick Re-pole (director of research and development), Landry Fields (Austin Spurs general manager), Tyler Self (Austin Spurs assistant general manager) and Keon Weise (performance informatic scout).

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-round-out-coaching-staff-14456756.php

This link has bio descriptions from the Spurs press release - https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/9/20/20876348/spurs-announce-additions-and-promotions-to-coaching-staff-and-operations

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Update about our roster for training camp:

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It appears the Spurs’ deal with Ledbetter was specifically designed to get him a bonus as a reward for his work in Austin, rather than to attend training camp with San Antonio. Players who sign Exhibit 10 deals are eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend two months with that team’s G League affiliate after being released.

The Spurs now have 19 players under contract.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/09/spurs-waive-jeff-ledbetter.html


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We have a strong global brand and logo recognition, so it'll be interesting to see where and how this new hire will expand and strengthen them.

Spurs hire former Facebook executive Brandon Gayle to boost 'global' brand

The Spurs have hired a leading sports marketing executive to help boost their "global" brand.

Brandon Gayle has been named executive vice president of partnerships and revenue of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, SS&E announced Friday.

Gayle, 38, spent the past six-plus years serving in various roles with Facebook, including director of global sports partnerships and solutions. During that stint, he oversaw a team that managed partnerships with U.S. and Canadian-based sports properties on all Facebook platforms, including Instagram, Messenger and Oculus.

"We are thrilled to welcome Brandon and his family to the Spurs organization," SS&E president R.C. Buford said in a press release. "He's a dynamic, innovative thinker who has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the world of global sports branding. His understanding of content, engagement and analytics is going to benefit all of us at SS&E, as well as our fans in San Antonio, throughout Texas and across the globe."

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Gayle earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard in 2003 and his master's in business from Harvard Business School in 2010. He is a member of Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 Class of 2018.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-hire-former-Facebook-executive-Brandon-14474283.php

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The official announcement from the Spurs is likely on its way, but seeing as how this is from Lonnie's phone and he posted it, safe to surmise it's valid:

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It was a no brainer, but great news nonetheless.

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And it's official. Wonderful to have both Derrick and Lonnie in the fold:

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October 2nd marks the annual International Wrongful Conviction Day, which brings much needed attention to the plight of all who are burdened by the consequences wrongful conviction, from those in prison to their loved ones, and provides them with support and resources. The NBA Coaches Association has been lending its support to this important cause:

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International Wrongful Conviction Day began as an effort of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for they have been convicted, working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions, and supporting the exonerated after they are freed.

https://nbacoaches.com/wrongful-conviction-day-2/


Last year, Pop wrote a letter announcing a partnership with the Innocence Project:

The Innocence Project, founded in 1992 by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck at Cardozo School of Law, exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/about/


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It's here! No broadcasts for the pre-season games, but Spurs Facebook may have them:

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The San Antonio Spurs announced today their 2019-20 broadcast schedule, highlighted by 80 games airing locally in high definition (HD) on FOX Sports Southwest (FSSW) – also streamed live via the FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com, KENS-TV (CBS 5) and KMYS-TV (CW35). FOX Sports Southwest will air 60 games this season, KENS 5 will broadcast 14 games and CW35 will carry the action for six games. Each KENS 5 and CW35 broadcast can also be streamed live through the Official Spurs Mobile App. Two regular-season games for the Silver and Black will be carried exclusively on national TV.

The season tips off on KENS 5 when the Spurs host the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. KENS 5 will also carry the Spurs’ first road game of the year on Thursday, Oct. 31 against the Clippers in Los Angeles. San Antonio’s home matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on March 10 and road game vs. the Utah Jazz on March 24 will be exclusively broadcast on TNT.

KENS 5 will air 14 games this season and will air exclusive Spurs content within the station’s newscasts and digital sites, led by veteran local sportscaster Joe Reinagel. KENS 5 is the Official Television Station of the San Antonio Spurs.

https://www.nba.com/spurs/san-antonio-spurs-announce-2019-20-broadcast-schedule

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We have until June 30th to work out a potential deal with DeMar, so plenty of time for both sides, but it looks as if conversations are open about the possibility. I'm curious to see how DeMar fits into our system / how our system adjusts to accommodate players we now have. I think I'd be comfortable with a 2+1 at not max (which means it'll probably either 4 years or more per year than I thought at fewer years).

Report: San Antonio Spurs, DeRozan discussing contract extension

The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that the San Antonio Spurs and guard DeMar DeRozan have begun talks regarding a contract extension.

DeRozan and the Spurs are having discussions on a contract extension, though nothing is imminent, league sources told The Athletic.

DeRozan has a player option for 2020-21 worth $27.7 million, which makes clarity on his future important as both sides have been open toward discussing an extension. DeRozan said during Spurs’ media day on Monday that his focus is on the season.

The Spurs have until June 30 to come to an agreement with DeRozan, but they could choose to get it out of the way sooner, as was the case with LaMarcus Aldridge. Doing so would give them a clearer look at their financial future.

https://projectspurs.com/2019/10/04/report-san-antonio-spurs-derozan-discussing-contract-extension/

The Spurs value DeRozan. They believe the four-time All-Star is an anchor for the franchise and are keeping an open mind entering the season. He had a strong summer of training in Los Angeles, according to those present at his workouts and five-on-five runs with other NBA players, using last season’s non-All Star season as motivation in his 3-point shooting game and overall repertoire.

One source who saw DeRozan work out this summer in Los Angeles told The Athletic that his shooting looks improved and his mindset will benefit from a full summer to digest the knowledge gained after a year in Gregg Popovich’s system.

DeRozan has an option that he could decline next summer prior to the projected $125 million salary cap spike in 2021.

https://theathletic.com/1264363/2019/10/04/charanias-inside-pass-derozans-future-with-spurs-siakam-seeking-max-deal/

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The Fiesta tease is real.

Mitchell and Ness release new Spurs retro-themed gear

Ahead of the start of the regular-season, many organizations have announced their classic-retro jerseys but there has been no word on whether or not the Spurs Sports & Entertainment will join.

However, Mitchell & Ness is giving fans something that could whet their appetite.

The clothing company recently released a new Spurs "Team Heritage Tank" complete with that familiar "Fiesta" colors Spurs fans enjoy.

https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/mitchell-and-ness-release-new-spurs-retro-themed-gear

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DeMar with fans at the launch of his clothing line, Comp10:

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It's time for new HEB commercials!

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The roster is getting trimmed:

The Spurs roster stands at 18 players because they waived undrafted rookie forward Dedric Lawson after the game.

The Kansas-ex appeared in three preseason games, averaging 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes.

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Popovich-accuses-Trump-of-dealing-with-strongmen-14519075.php#photo-18430350

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San Antonio Spurs waive Lawson, sign Robinson to Exhibit 10 contract

But the Spurs may have already replaced Lawson on the roster. Although the addition has not been made official by the Spurs, some reports and a message on the player’s Twitter account point to the team signing University of Houston alum Galen Robinson Jr. to an Exhibit 10 contract.

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The former Cougars guard told Fox 26 the signing “just made everything feel so official. I felt on top of the world & for it to be with such a prestigious and respected organization makes it that much better.”

Robinson, who averaged eight points and nearly five assists with Houston last season, originally signed a contract with Austin on June 26 after he went undrafted. He had worked out with the Spurs prior to the NBA Draft. Like Jeff Ledbetter and Matt Farrell, Robinson may not even spend a minute in preseason action with the team.

https://projectspurs.com/2019/10/14/san-antonio-spurs-waive-lawson-sign-robinson-to-exhibit-10-contract/

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In addition to Galen, the Spurs have filled out all the training camp roster spots with the signing of Kenny Williams:

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Williams and Robinson Jr. have signed exhibit 10 contracts, which means once they’re waived, they’ll most likely end up in Austin with the G-League Spurs unless they sign with another NBA team.

https://projectspurs.com/2019/10/15/spurs-sign-kenny-williams-roster-increases-to-20-players/