Why Did Spurs Meet Up at De'Aaron Fox's Private Gym in Houston? 'To Get Ahead'

SAN ANTONIO — Four days after Corliss Williamson and the Summer Spurs played their final Summer League game in Las Vegas, four Big Team veterans met up in Houston.

Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Tobias Harris, fresh off signing a two-year, $31 million free agency contract with the San Antonio Spurs, made up the contingent that convened at Fox's private gym near Cypress. They had one goal in mind.

"Get ahead a little bit," Fox said in a video posted to the Spurs' X, formerly Twitter account.

Iron sharpens iron 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gi6FIsy2Ym
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) September 8, 2026

The four players boast a combined 222 playoff appearances, five trips to the NBA Finals and one championship, courtesy of Barnes' stint with the Golden State Warriors from 2012-16. Looking to add to that total, they're weary of the dangers of a few months' break.

"Training camp can't be your first time getting together as a team," Fox explained. "You're going to be behind, and you're trying to play catch up throughout the course of the season."

Prior to their short trip to Houston, several of the Spurs — including Barnes and Fox — made a trip to Paris to join Wembanyama in his hometown. Beyond their workouts, some of which Wembanyama's younger brother, Oscar, got in on, the team set aside time for sightseeing.

It's not the first time the players have left the country on vacation together: two summers ago, a group of Spurs traveled to London, Spain and the Philippines to celebrate the birthdays of former teammates Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham.

"I think it's always important to bond in the offseason," Barnes said.

With training camp three weeks away, the Spurs have begun ramping up their on-court workload hoping to mitigate any loss of momentum from their NBA Finals berth in June. In the process, they're hoping to get Harris up to speed as a sharpshooting veteran.

"I'm the new guy here," Harris said. "I just want to come in and get to know them. Put some time in. I always believe iron sharpens iron, so being able to be here ... I'm going to enjoy it."

Barnes is especially looking forward to playing with Harris in San Antonio; the pair have history dating back nearly two decades, Barnes says, having often faced off on the national AAU circuit before both became big names in the 2010 high school recruiting class.

"I've had a chance to compete against him since I was 14 years old," Barnes said of his new teammate. "I think it's pretty cool, at this point in our careers, to play on a contending team — a team that's got a lot of potential. We're trying to do something special."

Jul 22, 2026; Houston, Texas; USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tobias Harris (23) shoots over forward Harrison Barnes (40) during an offseason workout at De'Aaron Fox's private gym. | Photo via @spurs on Instagram.

Harris, who is now set to suit up for his sixth NBA franchise across 16 seasons, averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 47 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from the 3-point line in 63 appearances for the Detroit Pistons last season.

Learning a new system isn't foreign for the 34-year-old, but he's glad to start early.

"I know the type of personalities on this team already," Harris said. "Just to be able to be here, work with these guys, learn from each other, that's how we become a really great team."

Soon enough, a day at Fox's private gym in Houston will turn into a week at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. At that point, Harris will get to meet the rest of his new teammates and the team can continue to "get ahead."

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