The Spurs’ rising rookie participated in All-Star Weekend competition, fueling his ambition to become an NBA All-Star.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant had the opportunity to participate in the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, a dream come true for many first-year hoopers in the association.
He played in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Game as part of Team Vince and beat two of his Spurs teammates, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, who were on Team Melo.
For All-Star Saturday, he put on a strong performance in the Slam Dunk Contest, where he came up just short in the finals to Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson.
“It’s kind of like those things that you imagine as a kid, competing against your teammates in All-Star events. I don’t know how to really explain it. It’s super exciting,” he said.
While getting to dunk in front of millions and playing on the opening night of All-Star Weekend is exciting, Bryant has a more ambitious goal: becoming an NBA All-Star.
Getting to experience All-Star Weekend lit a fire under the rookie forward, and he sees himself playing in the headlining event in the future.
“I think that I’m more than capable of becoming that (All-Star). It’s one of those things that I think is within me,” he said. “I feel like it’s one of those things you want to do.”
Bryant recognizes the long road ahead to achieve his goal, yet he demonstrates his capability to succeed. He has a strong desire to improve, possesses the physical skills and mindset, is eager to learn, takes his time to become one of the league’s best, and has a fierce competitive spirit.
“Losing sucks. I hate losing. That’s the thing I hate the most on earth,” he said following his loss in the Dunk Contest. “Probably beat myself up a little bit about it for probably a few minutes, but after that, I’ve got to let it go. I’ve got to get it back on the back end.”
In his last three games before the All-Star break, Bryant showed an improvement in his statistics. He averaged 11.7 points per game, along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in those contests, while shooting 39% from the 3-point line and 43% overall from the field.
A good start, but a long way to go. For now, he knows he can’t rush the process to achieve his goal of playing in the All-Star game, but approach it game by game, season by season.
“It’s kind of like you just have to understand it’s going to take time. It’s going to take time to become the player you want to become,” he said. “Just being able to put my head down to work.”