The Spurs had an ace in the hole for Wednesday’s season-opening win in Dallas.
Former Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney returned to American Airlines Center as the new associate head coach for the Spurs.
He coached in Dallas from 2021 to June 2025, when San Antonio hired him. Sweeney first met Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd in 2011 with the Brooklyn Nets, then followed him to Milwaukee.
Sweeney has gone from coaching the Mavericks’ 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and helping Dallas reach the NBA Finals two years ago to working with the NBA’s next generational talent in Victor Wembanyama.
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“I don’t know if there is too much inside information,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said before the game. “But with all of the success he’s had here, he will be a big help to us this year.
“Sean’s name and experience speaks for itself. He has been around the league and he has had tremendous success wearing many different hats for different staffs. There is a reason he was identified and we wanted to bring him on.”
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The Spurs are looking to end a six-season drought of missing the playoffs but have had back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. Sweeney is known for his defensive expertise, which fits perfectly with a Spurs team led by Wembanyama, a two-time NBA blocks leader.
Johnson was asked if his team needs Sweeney to be a vocal leader less than a year after it was announced that Johnson would be taking over for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.
“I don’t know if there is any expectation on the level of talk, but he definitely has a great feeling of being able to assert himself when necessary without feeling the need to overtake or jump in,” Johnson said of Sweeney. “I’ve been blessed to have the benefit of a staff where there has been quite a bit of alignment and cohesion early on.”
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