Newton Rams legend Stephon Castle has seen his basketball career take him approximately 1,000 miles away from Covington to San Antonio, Texas as a member of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. 

But when the Spurs made the trip to the “404” to face the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night, Castle knew he had to come back home.

In a sea of 2,000 fans wearing Newton blue, a wave of applause ushered through Newton High School when Castle took to the floor during the intermission of Tuesday’s “battle of the Rams” between Grayson and Newton. This marks the first time that Castle has attended a Newton basketball game since joining the Spurs last year.

Castle was a standout guard for the Newton Rams from 2019-23, becoming a highly touted five-star prospect and a McDonald's All-American. He also won a gold medal as part of the 2022 FIBA Americas U18 championship team for the United States.

Following an array of collegiate offers, Castle attended the University of Connecticut, where he quickly became an impact player. In his lone season, Castle won a national championship and a ticket to potential superstardom in professional basketball.

That proverbial ticket was cashed in on June 26 when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Spurs had taken him with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Castle said that his time with the Spurs has been much like a second home since officially joining the team.

“I love it there,” Castle said. “They welcomed me with open arms, took me with the No. 4 pick so I mean, they’ve changed my family’s life forever. You can only imagine how much I’m thankful for them.”

The investment has paid off well so far for the Spurs, as Castle was recently named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month in January. He is also considered a top-three candidate for the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year.

To this point, Castle has played alongside and learned from the likes of current NBA star Victor Wembanyama and NBA legend Chris Paul among many other talented professionals. Between his teammates and the coaching staff, the Rams legend feels that he is destined for success in the long run.

“I feel like it was the perfect situation for me to come in and learn in Year 1,” Castle said. “I’ve been able to go in and make mistakes and be corrected by some of the best, so it’s been great.”

It is safe to say that Castle is excited about playing alongside and against some of the league’s best on any given night of the week. However, there’s one specific date he has marked on his calendar.

On Saturday, Feb. 15, Castle will be one of four NBA players to participate in the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. This contest is reserved for the best dunkers in the league, with the likes of Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins and many people’s greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, winning the contest over the years.

Castle will face off against 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.

Despite his eagerness to be a part of such a special event, Castle had a surprising answer when asked if he ever dreamed of competing in the Dunk Contest.

“I never really envisioned myself being in it,” Castle said. “I always watched it though.”

With the amount of captivating in-game dunks that Castle has produced in his rookie season alone, he stands to be a threat to unseat McClung and take home the 2025 dunk contest trophy.

But no matter the outcome, Castle’s ultimate goal for this year extends past all-star weekend. 

In fact, it goes further than just the regular season. The rising star said he hopes to reach the postseason in his rookie season, a task that may seem challenging on the surface.

As it currently stands, the Spurs sit at 21-26 and 12th in the Western Conference. They currently sit four games back from the 10th-seed Golden State Warriors, who are 25-24. 

The No. 10 seed, or better, is where the Spurs will need to be in order to advance to the play-in tournament, where they will have a chance to enter the postseason. A reinvigorated Spurs unit with the newly acquired DeAaron Fox as well as Wembanyama and Paul will help the team put up a fight.

But the Rams legend is set to be a crucial part of the Spurs’ present and future, one that he hopes includes many playoff victories.

“Just try and stack up wins and get to the playoffs,” Castle said. “That’s gonna be the goal really for the rest of my career. Making it to the playoffs and keep advancing.”