Ever since the Spurs drafted him in June, Cady Lalanne has dreamed about playing on the AT&T Center floor in front of the San Antonio crowd.
Lalanne’s dream came true much earlier than expected on Tuesday, with a bit of a catch.
He was in an Austin Spurs uniform, as the Spurs’ NBA Development League affiliate played their first ever game at the AT&T Center.
The San Antonio Spurs were sitting in the stands at their home court while Austin took over for the night, beating Santa Cruz 111-92.
The Austin Spurs improved to 13-3, the best record in the D-League.
“It was a great experience,” Lalanne said. “Hopefully the first of many times I’ll play here.”
The game gave San Antonio fans a chance to see their affiliate in person, and gave Austin fans a chance to see the renovated AT&T Center.
David Robinson, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and much of the Spurs coaching staff were among the crowd of 7,154 who took the chance to see some possible future San Antonio Spurs play. And on an off night for the San Antonio Spurs, Rasual Butler, Boban Marjanovic and Jonathon Simmons were at the AT&T Center as well.
They’re three of the seven players on the Spurs roster who have spent time in the D-League.
Simmons was in Austin for two seasons, joining the team after impressing coaches and scouts during an open tryout in 2013. He played well enough to earn a contract with San Antonio over summer.
“It was good to be able do watch the game tonight - I definitely reminisced a little,” Simmons said. “It was a good experience for me in Austin. You learn to take criticism and turn it into a positive.”
Austin players spent Monday working out at the San Antonio Spurs’ practice facility and watched from a suite as their parent club beat Minnesota.
For many of the Austin Spurs, Tuesday’s game against the defending D-League champions Santa Cruz was their first time in uniform in the AT&T Center.
“This is a great opportunity for our guys,” Austin coach Ken McDonald said. “These guys are sacrificing a lot to play in the D-League, and a reward like this game goes a long way.”
Guard Ray McCallum played with Austin on Tuesday, scoring 13 points with nine assists.
Another San Antonio Spur, Marjanovic, praised his two-game stint in Austin earlier this month as a catalyst for his adjustment to professional basketball in America.
After he made brief appearances in 10 of the Spurs’ first 20 games of the season, the 7-foot-3 Marjanovic played with Austin on Dec. 4 and 5 to see more minutes. When he returned to the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 7 against Philadelphia, Marjanovic responded with an 18-point game.
“Austin helped me see more playing time and learn the offense,” Marjanovic said. “Those two games helped me to get my confidence and feel comfortable on the court.”
When Spurs Sports & Entertainment bought the Austin Spurs (then the Toros) in 2007, they became the second NBA team to own a D-League franchise. Now, there are 19 D-League teams with NBA affiliations, a number that will increase to 22 for the 2016-17 season.
While Kyle Anderson spent last season shuttling between Austin and San Antonio and McCallum has made similar trips this year, the D-League was also where the Spurs spotted gems in Danny Green and Simmons.
Two Austin Spurs players, Bryce Cotton and Jarell Eddie, have already received NBA call-ups this season. Cotton signed with Phoenix and Eddie with Washington.
And the call-ups extend far beyond the players. Coaches, executives, dancers, sales representatives and even a public address announcer have made the leap from Austin to the NBA.
D-League commissioner Malcolm Turner attended Tuesday’s game and said the AT&T Center game is just another example of how much the Spurs value their affiliate.
“We hold San Antonio and Austin up as one of the model relationships between an NBA team and its affiliate in our league,” Turner said. “San Antonio was an early adopter of the D-League, and I really think they set a bar on how to utilize our league. I’d love to see more NBA teams host their D-League affiliates for games.”
Tuesday’s game also served as a way for Austin fans to connect with the big league team, as 250 Austin season ticket members joined the team on the road trip and took buses down to San Antonio.
“Our fans in Austin really bond with these players over a short period of time,” said Tim Salier, SS&E vice president of franchise business operations. “Because of how much our Austin season ticket members mean to the team, we wanted this game to serve as a thank you to the fans.”
Season ticket member Carrie Van Meeteren made the trip and said she’s always enjoyed getting to know Austin players before they go on to the NBA, and was excited to see Simmons in the crowd.
“I love to see the players get called up, but by that time we’re attached to them so it’s also a little bittersweet,” Van Meeteren said. “These guys have these big goals, and you can see them giving their all out on the court.”
Showing his appreciation for the Austin fans, Buford spent 30 minutes answering questions before the game, explaining the bond between the Austin and San Antonio Spurs.
Buford frequently attends Austin games, and was at the Cedar Park Center on Sunday to watch the Spurs beat Bakersfield.
“We’ve had great fan engagement in the Spurs family across all of our teams, and it’s been fun to see that Austin support grow every year,” Buford said. “Playing in the D-League is a lot of work. There are a lot of bus rides. For the players, it’s really a belief system in themselves that helps them become successful, it’s the coaches creating a development system that allows them to blossom, and it’s the support of the fans in Austin that brings everything full circle.”
lchan@attcenter.com
Twitter:@lornechan