San Antonio's Kingston Flemings Knows His Worth. He's Ready to Show All 30 NBA Teams

SAN ANTONIO — Kingston Flemings watches enough basketball.

Enough to feel the weight and excitement of the San Antonio Spurs reaching the NBA Finals as a native Texan. And enough to know their paths are unlikely to cross anytime soon, especially not during Tuesday's NBA Draft at Barclays Center in New York.

Asked if he ever allowed the thought of playing for his hometown squad creep into his mind ahead of Round 1, the former Houston Cougar made clear the latter.

"Not really, to be honest," Flemings, a San Antonio native, told Spurs On SI. "I mean, obviously the Spurs are a really great team. But I think it's a little bit out of my draft range."

Flemings, coming off a Sweet 16 season in which he led Houston in points and assists, has bought into the hype around his name as a consensus top-10 pick. Some mock drafts have him as high as No. 7, routing him to the Sacramento Kings. Others send him to Atlanta.

Wherever he lands — which he knows could be anywhere — he plans to bring gratitude.

"Wherever you end up is where you end up," Flemings said. "That's a great way to think about it. I mean, any team that drafts me, I'm going to be a super lucky person. There's not a lot of people that get drafted to the NBA. So ... I'm going to be super excited."

Mar 25, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings shoots the ball during a practice session ahead of the south regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Ahead of his red carpet appearance in Brooklyn, Flemings partnered with USAA to return to San Antonio and reflect on his journey to the NBA with his family.

Flemings' mother, Shayla, supports veterans as a Nurse Manager at the VA in San Antonio, while his father, Demetric, served three years in the Army. Flemings' grandparents and great grandparents also served in the Army, Navy and Air Force throughout their careers.

Together with his younger sister, Bella — now a four-star Duke basketball commit — Flemings navigated the military family landscape and often cites the lessons it taught him.

"That was just our household," Flemings said. "When you grow up in something like that, you're kind of used to it: 'Yes, sir. No, ma'am.' ... it's instilled a lot of the values I have in life."

He continued, speaking on his sister's impending basketball journey at the collegiate level: "It's just a great thing that both of our dreams are coming true."

Respect helped Flemings climb up league circles as an exciting prospect beyond what he was capable of on the court. The point guard made a name for himself throughout Houston's impressive season. When it was over, he left with a forever advocate in Kelvin Sampson.

"I always thought Kingston was special," the Houston coach said prior to his squad's first NCAA tournament game in March. "He’s a very good conversationalist ... he likes to ask questions. He’s a very grounded young man. Very mature, in some ways."

Flemings returned the praise for the near-Hall-of-Fame coach.

"His experience is definitely a big thing," Flemings said. "What he teaches us on and off the court is something that you can't learn from a lot of people ... being able to play under Coach Sam was definitely a great moment. I'm glad I could be one of (his) players."

Flemings averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 48 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from 3 across 37 appearances. His ability to touch the paint with speed while playing tenacious defensive, despite his size, stick out most.

"He (makes) everyone better," said Flemings' Houston teammate Chris Cenac Jr. — also a projected first-round pick. "That's definitely helped me a lot. He's a high IQ guy, great point guard. Great character. Just playing with a guy like that, it's improved my game, as well."

Flemings plans to show off all of his better traits while simultaneously improving his game.

"Getting downhill, beating my defender ... and creating space for my teammates," Flemings began, "I think I'm really great at that. It'll be (shown) at the next level. And what I'm to work on? Definitely my body. Getting stronger, getting faster, bigger so I can really go and play."

Mar 26, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) dribbles the ball against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

As he's prepared for the draft, Flemings turned to several NBA veterans who have been through the process. George Hill made his list, along with fellow Houston alum Jamal Shead and even Spurs star De'Aaron Fox, fresh off the first NBA Finals berth of his career.

What he's learned is simple: remaining in the league takes constant dedication. Luckily for him, Shead already sees the potential in the soon-to-be NBA Cougar.

"He's not scared," Shead said. "He adapts really well. That kid loves basketball. Loves being around basketball, loves learning around basketball ... that's going to take him far."

When he was younger, Flemings had a dream of playing basketball at the highest level he could. From William J. Brennan High School to the NCAA Tournament, he's done enough to punch his ticket to the NBA. The next step is finding how he fits on his new team.

While his trust doesn't come easy — ask Sampson — the San Antonio product is ready for what's next. Flemings watches enough basketball to know his next stop won't be in South Texas, but he hopes the teams in his range have watched enough of him to take a chance.

"It's surreal," Flemings said. "Me, my friends, people I played with in high school ... in college, all going through the same process. It's a great feeling. I'm just ready to get drafted."

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