Stephon Castle Named NBA Rookie of the Year, Succeeds Victor Wembanyama

The NBA announced Monday that San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle has been named the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, becoming the second consecutive Spur to win the award after teammate Victor Wembanyama claimed the honor last season.

Castle received overwhelming support from the media panel, earning 92 first-place votes out of 100 ballots cast. Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, finished second with five first-place votes, while Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells collected three first-place votes for third place.

The 20-year-old Castle averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game during the regular season, appearing in all 82 games for the Spurs. His consistent production became especially valuable down the stretch when San Antonio was without its star duo of Wembanyama (sidelined with thrombosis) and De’Aaron Fox (injured hand).

“I can’t help but think about the target I just put on my back, but I’m ready to carry it,” Castle said following the announcement. “With the confidence I have as a player, this was definitely a goal from day one. I’m happy I was able to achieve it.”

The Spurs finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-48 record, placing 13th in the Western Conference and missing the playoffs. Despite the team’s struggles, Castle’s recognition marks the first time since the 2015-16 season that a franchise has had back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners, with Minnesota Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins (2015) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016) previously accomplishing the feat.

Castle joins an elite group of Spurs legends who have won the award, following David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998). The trophy was officially renamed the Wilt Chamberlain Rookie of the Year Award in 2022.

This season’s voting continues a recent trend of international players excelling in the rookie category. Castle’s victory means that for the second straight year, the award went to a Spur, following Wembanyama’s unanimous win in 2023-24. Wembanyama became just the sixth player in NBA history to win the Rookie of the Year award unanimously, joining Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Rookie of the Year award has been presented annually since the 1952-53 season, initially named after Eddie Gottlieb before being renamed in honor of Wilt Chamberlain. Selections are made by a panel of sports writers from the United States and Canada, who rank their top three choices with five points for first place, three for second, and one for third.

With this honor, Castle becomes one of 22 players to win the award as a first overall draft pick, though he was selected fourth overall by the Spurs in the 2024 draft behind Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Nikola Topic.

The recognition highlights the continued development of young talent in San Antonio, which has now produced four Rookie of the Year winners in franchise history. Castle’s award comes amid a rebuilding phase for the Spurs, who look to build around their young core featuring the French phenom Wembanyama and the newly crowned rookie standout.

As the NBA offseason approaches, Castle will look to build on his impressive rookie campaign while the Spurs continue their pursuit of returning to playoff contention in the highly competitive Western Conference.

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