The San Antonio Spurs recently completed a 62-win season, reaching the NBA Finals with a promising young core. This core features standout players like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. All three players, under the age of 23, have already made significant impacts. Wembanyama was named Western Conference Finals MVP. Castle earned the title of 2025 Rookie of the Year. Harper secured a position on the All-Rookie First Team.
The Spurs announced a strategic move by adding Billy Donovan as the new lead assistant coach. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported this development. Donovan joins under head coach Mitch Johnson. Donovan’s addition follows a challenging NBA Finals series for the Spurs. The team suffered a surprising collapse, surrendering a 29-point lead in Game 4. They also lost a late advantage in Game 5 at home, handing the championship to the New York Knicks.
Post-Finals, Johnson acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, noting they “weren’t ready to win an NBA championship.” Donovan, a Hall of Fame coach inducted in 2025, may help navigate these challenges. Donovan’s past successes include two national titles with Florida in 2006 and 2007. He commenced his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, leading them to the Western Conference finals with 55 wins in his first year.
Donovan maintained a strong record with Oklahoma City, avoiding a losing season during his five-year tenure. He later transitioned to the Chicago Bulls in 2020, achieving one playoff appearance in 2021-22, concluding with a 226-256 record.
The surprising aspect of Donovan’s new role lies in his transition from head coach to assistant. This is particularly notable as Donovan was a candidate for several head coaching positions recently. He was a finalist for the Orlando Magic’s head coach role. This position eventually went to Sean Sweeney, Spurs associate head coach, who departed for Orlando ahead of the Finals. Sweeney had been key in Wembanyama’s Defensive Player of the Year achievement.
As Donovan joins San Antonio, he brings extensive title experience from his college coaching years. His addition to the Spurs positions the team for another strong title run next year. Moreover, Donovan stands as a potential successor if head coach Mitch Johnson’s role becomes precarious.
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