Austin Spurs guard Jon Elmore had to mute his phone after he made his NBA preseason debut with the San Antonio Spurs.
The messages kept coming: congratulations, encouragement and even some jokes calling him a “high school science teacher out there getting buckets.”
For the 30-year-old, it was a moment seven years in the making.
After Elmore went undrafted out of Marshall University in 2019, he spent seven years playing overseas and in the NBA G League. Elmore appeared in four preseason games with the Spurs earlier this month, getting his first taste of an NBA court.
“Dude, it was honestly just a blessing, man,” Elmore said. “It was an honor and a privilege to just walk in the Spurs gym every day.”
For Elmore, the experience went beyond just playing basketball. He recalled seeing the franchise’s championship banners and getting to be around Spurs legends Bruce Bowen and David Robinson.
The Spurs stars that he’d grown up watching were now standing right in front of him in practice.
Elmore scored just five points across four preseason games. But judging by his phone notifications afterward, plenty of people were watching.
“(My) social media blew up,” Elmore said. “I had to mute everything on my phone.”
Some fans offered encouragement, and others joked about his age and appearance. Elmore, who gained attention for his signature bald-head celebration during the Summer League, even brought the celebration to the NBA preseason.
“NBA regular season’s next on the list for the celebration,” Elmore said.
For now, that next step will have to wait.
San Antonio waived Elmore after the preseason, bringing him back to familiar territory in the G League with Austin.
“(The G League is one of) the only (leagues) in the world where guys want to leave, and the goal is to leave,” Elmore said.
For Elmore, leaving would mean finally getting a shot at an opportunity he’s been chasing since college. But until then, he’ll prepare for another season in Austin and another chance to prove that he belongs in the NBA.
Chris Kent, Austin Spurs head coach, is already aware of what Elmore can do. When Elmore played for the Stockton Kings, Kent coached against him and remembers having to prepare his team for the veteran guard.
“I’m happy to have him on our side,” Kent said. “Just a vocal leader, true point guard, but he can also score.”
At 30, Elmore is sharing the court with rookies who are nearly a decade younger and just beginning their professional careers. He’s spent years bouncing between teams and countries, but the grind of chasing the NBA hasn’t taken away from his love for the game.
“I get paid to come to the gym and work on my game every day and play a kid’s game with a round ball,” Elmore said.
He knows there’s no guarantee another NBA opportunity will come, but the preseason gave him a glimpse of something he’s wanted since he was a kid.
“If I told my 15-year-old self that I was going to be in the Spurs jersey in the NBA preseason, I think I would have taken that in a heartbeat,” Elmore said.
