The “Area 51” duo combines scintillating talent with deep brotherhood to power Spurs’ surprising resurgence
Stephon Castle screamed down the floor with 8:28 left in the second quarter of the San Antonio Spurs’ season-opening win in Dallas, yelling instructions to his teammate. Almost on cue, Victor Wembanyama pushed off with his right arm against the trailing Dwight Powell to dig in for one last burst of acceleration to the hoop. A few steps past the center court logo, Castle floated a lob that Wembanyama snatched midair for a reverse two-handed jam that instantly went viral.
A whistle quickly pierced the noisy celebration as Dallas called a timeout to regroup. The poster and subsequent celebration quickly circulated across social media, the chemistry between the past two Rookie of the Year winners as obvious as their scintillating talent. Castle acknowledged he’s seen that picture plenty of times since then, and they’ve talked about it extensively. The biggest thing is being able to execute in games that matter, and that was definitely a turning point.
San Antonio’s stunning start validates summer work
Still, what excites the duo most these days is San Antonio’s fast start at 8-3, the Spurs are off to their best start since 2016-17 and prospects for a future that was placed on hold back in February when news broke that Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season due to right shoulder deep vein thrombosis. The French phenom proclaimed in late September that nobody has trained like he did this summer, demonstrating his commitment to returning stronger.
What he didn’t divulge publicly was the extensive one-on-one time he spent with Castle during his jet-setting summer working to nail down the intricate details that make this new duo the 21-year-old point guard and the 21-year-old big man perhaps the most fearsome in all of basketball. This partnership, they say, is called “Area 51,” combining their jersey numbers and Wembanyama’s alien nickname.
Historic triple-double performance showcases potential
Castle and Wembanyama each notched a triple-double in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, becoming the fifth duo in NBA history to each log a 20-point triple-double in a game and the first such duo to lose while doing it. That historic performance demonstrated their individual brilliance while highlighting areas for improvement as they continue developing chemistry.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson emphasized they didn’t get a ton of time last season on the court to build rhythm together. Last year when they shared the court, it was early in Castle’s rookie season where he was trying to survive, especially with the variety of ways San Antonio deployed him. The coaching staff believes they’re just scratching the surface of what this duo can accomplish.
Defensive dominance defines “Area 51” identity
So far, and unsurprisingly, Area 51 shines brightest on the defensive end of the floor. San Antonio owns a defensive rating of 101.1 with Area 51 on the floor together this season, and outscored opponents by 14.6 points per 100 possessions across 264 minutes, which ranks eighth best among the 74 duos that have played 200-plus minutes.
Castle emphasized that both players take pride in being two-way players, and their identity on this team revolves around defense. They feel like they’re the heads of that defensive identity, so how many pick-and-rolls they guard together, how many times they have to read off each other’s defender, how much Castle has to help Wembanyama rebound all those little things on that side of the floor make it so much more important for them as a team.
Medical scare deepened bond between young stars
Fresh off a loss in Boston last season, Castle and Wembanyama boarded a six-hour, cross-country flight to San Francisco for All-Star Weekend festivities. It was late in the evening on February 12, and they had just finished their sixth game in 10 nights. They were absolutely exhausted after landing at 4 a.m. local time.
But on February 20, during shootaround in Austin before their first game after All-Star break, Wembanyama was nowhere to be found. Hours later, the team announced the then-21-year-old would miss the remainder of the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder a devastating blow that nobody saw coming.
Castle acknowledged it was weird getting adjusted to losing Wembanyama so suddenly. To see how quickly everything can get taken away from them opened their eyes to that perspective of how lucky they are to be able to play professionally. Having an important summer became the main thing they talked about afterward.
Summer bonding created unbreakable connection
Wembanyama’s whirlwind summer spanned the globe, while Castle spent the bulk of his offseason working out in Los Angeles with renowned trainer Olin Simplis. Still, the duo found time for each other, especially during the early stages of the offseason in San Antonio when Wembanyama wasn’t cleared medically to participate in on-court work yet.
In their time at Victory Capital Performance Center, the Spurs‘ state-of-the-art practice facility, Castle and Wembanyama watched film of their games every chance they got and then walked through simulated possessions of the clips they studied. That film work and attention to detail has translated directly to on-court success this season.
Castle loves the Area 51 nickname and everything it represents about their partnership. Now Wembanyama is like his brother, and they can talk about anything. That deep connection, forged through adversity and strengthened through countless hours of work, has transformed Area 51 from catchy nickname into legitimate force that opponents struggle containing.
