Spurs’ Stephon Castle says playing against Jayson Tatum in All-Star Game was a ‘blessing’
Castle previously said that Tatum was his favorite player and has worn the Celtics star's signature shoes throughout his rookie season.
Jayson Tatum went head-to-head against one of his biggest admirers in the league in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, who previously shared that Tatum was his favorite player in the league, was part of Candace Parker’s Rising Stars team that went up against Shaquille O’Neal’s OG’s squad, which featured Tatum and Jaylen Brown. So, Sunday was a pretty special night for Castle.
“It’s been super cool,” Castle told reporters when asked what it was like to face Tatum in the All-Star Game, via Celtics Blog’s Noa Dalzell. “JT, I’ve been a big fan of JT for a minute. Just being able to share the court with him, it’s definitely a blessing to be able to share the court with somebody I’ve been watching for [a long time].”
Castle, who helped UConn win a national title in 2024, first shared that Tatum was his favorite player in the league ahead of the NBA Draft in June, explaining that he’s a fan of the Celtics star’s versatility.
“I just feel like he does so many different things on the court,” Castle told Sirius XM. “You can put him really anywhere. He could be the 1 for you, he could be the 4 for you, he’s knocking down shots, playmaking.”
Castle also noted the way Tatum made an impact in the Celtics’ Finals win over the Mavericks as another reason why he’s his favorite player.
“You saw in the Finals — I don’t remember how many assists he had — but he had a lot of assists in one of those Finals games,” Castle said. “He’s just getting better, really with his all-around game. I just like players that are super versatile like that. That’s what kind of draws me to [Tatum].”
A few months after the Spurs drafted Castle with the fourth overall pick, he signed an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand. That’s allowed him to wear Tatum’s signature shoes on several occasions. He won MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge while wearing Tatum 3s on Friday before finishing as the runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.
Castle also wore Tatum’s signature shoes when the Spurs lost to the Celtics on Wednesday. He put up 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in an impressive performance off the bench in that game.
In the All-Star Game, Castle had six points on 3 of 7 shooting as he guarded Tatum on a few occasions. That wasn’t enough to help the Rising Stars advance, though, as Tatum helped Shaq’s OG’s win that game and the championship.
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