'We Wanted to Win': Days Removed from Heartbreak, How Are Spurs Moving Forward?

SAN ANTONIO — Pain followed Devin Vassell everywhere he went after Game 5 of the NBA Finals. From the court to his locker. From his locker to the shower. And then from the shower to the makeshift interview space at the back of Frost Bank Center.

Not 30 minutes prior, the San Antonio Spurs shooting guard watched as his opponents threw a party on his home floor as they celebrated their third championship in franchise history.

Never mind the fact that Jeremy Sochan, who began the season in Silver and Black, seemed to enjoy the moment a little extra. Nor the excessive Knicks fans. It was the cheers.

No amount of massive black curtains could drown out the dreadful sound.

"It hurts a lot," Vassell said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "It stings a lot. Hearing that right now, seeing them storm the court on our home court, it's tough. It's tough."

Midway through his answer, the 25-year-old paused, tightening his grip on the microphone in his hand. He tapped the table a few times; each soft thud kept him out of his head. The Spurs, at one point or another, held a double-digit lead in every game of the series.

The Knicks came back anyway. Not even a 29-point deficit in Game 4 stood in their way of proving that the Spurs needed to wait in line. Having already reached The Finals as one of the youngest squads in league history, that part hurt perhaps the most.

"We don't want a participation trophy," Vassell said. "We wanted to win."

Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) comes off the court during the third quarter during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Vassell, coming off the most efficient season of his career — the shooting guard averaged the second-lowest shot attempts of his career (11.3) while shooting 44 percent from the field and a career-high 38 percent from 3 — had to experience the closing moments of his season while still subbed in. His teammates next to him felt no better.

In five games against the Knicks, the Spurs found only one answer. It came during Game 3, but even then, that took fending off several runs to keep their lead. Turnovers and dissipating offense down the stretch were two of the main factors working against them.

"Every game had the same scenario," Victor Wembanyama said. "(All) five games ... in how relentless we were in our mistakes and (how relentless) they were in punishing them."

Wembanyama didn't shy away from the former. San Antonio felt it had control over the winner of each game of its series against New York. His eight-point average in fourth quarters didn't help matters, but attributing losses to that meant getting complex.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson explained his team's harsh reality in simpler terms.

"We weren't ready to win an NBA championship," Johnson said. "The better team won. We did a lot of good things, and we didn't finish the job. That's what it is."

As much as the Spurs wanted to outrun their own inexperience, a lack of past knowledge to lean on sternly reminded them of the mantra they used to get to this point.

"You can't skip no steps," Keldon Johnson said. "That drive has got to be here."

Every player heard the same speech from Mitch Johnson.

Crowded in their locker room for the final time of the season, the coach gave them straightforward instructions: feel the emotions. He'd done the same after Game 4, when the Spurs blew a historic 29-point lead on the road, only there was no retry this time.

The Spurs had reached the end of the line. And whatever emotional toll that came with, their coach said was valid. Citing his own humanity, he felt every bit of it.

"Whatever they feel, that's real," Johnson said. "That's what makes you better. That's what pushes you to continue to improve in the dark, long hours when nobody is around. We improved a whole lot this year. We still have a lot more motivation to continue to get better."

Johnson concluded his remarks with a vulnerable expression of gratitude.

"(He told us) he’s proud of us," Julian Champagnie recalled in the locker room. "(That he) wouldn’t want it no other way. Wouldn’t want to coach 18 other guys."

Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson huddles with his team during the fourth quarter during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

For 82 games, the Spurs learned to play together. Some nights they went without Wembanyama, and others without Fox — including an eight-game stint to begin the year.

When the playoffs came around, they worked on tightening their inconsistencies. They leaned on talent, and it got them through most obstacles, including the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's one of the few silver linings they're willing to acknowledge.

"We were one step away," Stephon Castle said after Game 5, "but, I mean, I wouldn't look at this season as a failure. I feel like we did a lot of good this season."

Making The Finals while your top seven players (in terms of minutes received) all fall under 30 years old rightfully lends itself to foresighted optimism. But it doesn't excuse the work needing to be done in order to capture sustainable success. The Spurs are privy.

Missed free throws down the stretch of Games 4 and 5 sank their chances at keeping in a series against the resilient Knicks. A pass off the back and subsequently out of bounds is almost inexcusable for a team hoping to win a championship.

And, of course, more depth will be needed to survive minutes against tougher, more skilled centers while Wembanyama takes breathers — even if only a few — in big games.

"This is our first time going through something like this," De'Aaron Fox said. "It's definitely something to build off. Champions are made before you win a championship."

Added Wembanyama: "This is the biggest lesson of my life. The biggest learning moment."

Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) speaks to the media after the New York Knicks defeat the Spurs during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The work begins almost immediately. Players will spend the coming weeks resting, while the brain trust works on finalizing draft boards, evaluating free agents and preparing for Summer League. Before long, training camp will arrive and their education will be tested.

Johnson, particularly, hopes his players will think about the abrupt end to their season the way he has. He wants them to bring their feelings with them.

"I hope it leads to them be hungrier than they've ever been," the coach began, "and I hope it leads them to be more motivated than they've ever been."

Sixty-two wins is a hard mark to replicate, let alone surpass. But San Antonio plans to continue what it believes will be seen as a bona fide NBA dynasty a few decades from now.

"We know we'll do everything we can," Vassell said rather confidently. "Scratch, claw ... to get back into this position and have a different outcome."

Whether or not the Spurs will be haunted by the plays that kept them from winning their first title for the rest of their time together remains to be seen. But they must press forward.

As much as it angers them, they'll have to do this, and a little extra, all over again in order to reach the mountaintop next season. They have eyes on a South Texas parade.

The kind that arrives in June — the season of champions — instead of April.

"We did the unthinkable," Champagnie said. "And we’ll be back again next year."

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