Jon Elmore reached an NBA court for the first time at age 30, stepping onto the floor for the San Antonio Spurs during the preseason after a winding professional basketball career that included stops across Europe, the NBA G League, and Canadian professional basketball, SPOX reported.
From Marshall Scoring Machine to Global Journeyman
Elmore established himself as a collegiate standout at Marshall University, playing under head coach Dan D’Antoni from 2015 to 2019. During his college career, he became the first NCAA Division I player to record over 2,500 points and 750 assists, while helping lead the Thundering Herd to a historic victory in the NCAA Tournament during March Madness. Despite putting up impressive career averages of 19.8 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds across 133 college games, Elmore went undrafted in both 2018 and 2019.
Jon Elmore of the Lakers has a unique celebration.What is it? Rubbing his bald head!"it's just like giving a lot of love to locks that were once there" 😂 pic.twitter.com/QcO8m7zv0D
That draft omission sparked a multi-country professional journey. Elmore played for Italian clubs Trieste and Orlandina, Greek sides Ionikos and Larisa, Soproni in Hungary, and Siauliai in Lithuania. Reflecting on his time overseas in an interview with phbball.com, Elmore stated he would not change a thing. “I would do everything exactly the same way,” he said. “It taught me how to find ways to cope and adapt to new cultures, places, and situations.”
The G League Grind and the Los Angeles Lakers Tryout
Returning stateside, Elmore worked his way through the NBA G League. He spent time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce—where he shot over 42 percent from three-point range—as well as the Cleveland Charge and the Stockton Kings, eventually capturing a G League title with Stockton during the 2025–26 season. After a brief stint with the Calgary Surge in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May and June of 2026, Elmore landed a spot with the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA Summer League.
During his time with the Lakers, Elmore averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 20.4 minutes across three appearances. He drew notice by celebrating deep three-pointers against the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls by rubbing his bald head, explaining later that he wanted to give a little love to the curls that once lived there. SPOX reported that Elmore finished Summer League play having made six of nine attempts from beyond the arc.
San Antonio Spurs Exhibit-10 Contract and Preseason Debut
Following his Summer League performance, Elmore signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the San Antonio Spurs, earning an invitation to training camp and the preseason roster. On a Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks, the veteran point guard checked into a preseason contest for his first-ever minutes on an NBA floor, playing 14 minutes.
Elmore finished that matchup against Utah with his first career preseason points alongside three assists, two steals, and a block in 14 minutes of action. With San Antonio’s guard rotation heavily crowded and standard two-way contracts largely filled, Elmore faces long odds to secure a permanent spot on the Spurs’ regular-season roster, leaving open the possibility of a return to the G League with the Austin Spurs.
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