Newton Rams legend Stephon Citadel has seen his basketball profession take him roughly 1,000 miles away from Covington to San Antonio, Texas as a member of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
However when the Spurs made the journey to the “404” to face the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday evening, Citadel knew he needed to come again house.
In a sea of two,000 followers sporting Newton blue, a wave of applause ushered via Newton Excessive Faculty when Citadel took to the ground through the intermission of Tuesday’s “battle of the Rams” between Grayson and Newton. This marks the primary time that Citadel has attended a Newton basketball recreation since becoming a member of the Spurs final yr.
Citadel was a standout guard for the Newton Rams from 2019-23, turning into a extremely touted five-star prospect and a McDonald’s All-American. He additionally received a gold medal as a part of the 2022 FIBA Americas U18 championship staff for the US.
Following an array of collegiate provides, Citadel attended the College of Connecticut, the place he shortly turned an influence participant. In his lone season, Citadel received a nationwide championship and a ticket to potential superstardom in skilled basketball.
That proverbial ticket was cashed in on June 26 when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver introduced that the Spurs had taken him with the fourth general decide within the 2024 NBA Draft.
Citadel mentioned that his time with the Spurs has been very like a second house since formally becoming a member of the staff.
“I find it irresistible there,” Citadel mentioned. “They welcomed me with open arms, took me with the No. 4 decide so I imply, they’ve modified my household’s life ceaselessly. You may solely think about how a lot I’m grateful for them.”
The funding has paid off nicely up to now for the Spurs, as Citadel was lately named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month in January. He’s additionally thought-about a top-three candidate for the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the 12 months.
So far, Citadel has performed alongside and discovered from the likes of present NBA star Victor Wembanyama and NBA legend Chris Paul amongst many different gifted professionals. Between his teammates and the teaching workers, the Rams legend feels that he’s destined for fulfillment in the long term.
“I really feel prefer it was the proper scenario for me to come back in and study in 12 months 1,” Citadel mentioned. “I’ve been capable of go in and make errors and be corrected by a number of the finest, so it’s been nice.”
It’s protected to say that Citadel is worked up about taking part in alongside and towards a number of the league’s finest on any given evening of the week. Nevertheless, there’s one particular date he has marked on his calendar.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Citadel might be one in every of 4 NBA gamers to take part within the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. This contest is reserved for the most effective dunkers within the league, with the likes of Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins and many individuals’s best of all time, Michael Jordan, successful the competition through the years.
Citadel will face off towards fellow rookie Matas Buzelis from the Chicago Bulls, Andre Jackson from the Milwaukee Bucks and the defending 2023 and 2024 NBA Dunk Champion, Mac McClung from the Orlando Magic.
Regardless of his eagerness to be part of such a particular occasion, Citadel had a stunning reply when requested if he ever dreamed of competing within the Dunk Contest.
“I by no means actually envisioned myself being in it,” Citadel mentioned. “I all the time watched it although.”
With the quantity of charming in-game dunks that Citadel has produced in his rookie season alone, he stands to be a risk to unseat McClung and take house the 2025 dunk contest trophy.
However irrespective of the end result, Citadel’s final objective for this yr extends previous all-star weekend.
In actual fact, it goes additional than simply the common season. The rising star mentioned he hopes to achieve the postseason in his rookie season, a job which will appear difficult on the floor.
Because it presently stands, the Spurs sit at 21-26 and twelfth within the Western Convention. They presently sit 4 video games again from the Tenth-seed Golden State Warriors, who’re 25-24.
The No. 10 seed, or higher, is the place the Spurs will have to be with the intention to advance to the play-in match, the place they may have an opportunity to enter the postseason. A reinvigorated Spurs unit with the newly acquired DeAaron Fox in addition to Wembanyama and Paul will assist the staff put up a battle.
However the Rams legend is about to be an important a part of the Spurs’ current and future, one which he hopes contains many playoff victories.
“Simply try to stack up wins and get to the playoffs,” Citadel mentioned. “That’s gonna be the objective actually for the remainder of my profession. Making it to the playoffs and maintain advancing.”
