San Antonio Spurs beat reporters Jeff McDonald, center left, and Tom Orsborn, center right, record Spurs center Luke Kornet as he answers questions from reporters during training camp at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan in action during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Nick Wass/AP
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and his staff’s emphasis on accountability will be even stronger this season after the addition of Billy Donovan.
That was the message center Luke Kornet delivered to reporters on the first day of training camp when asked about the Hall of Fame coach joining the defending Western Conference champions.
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The Spurs hired Donovan as an assistant in the offseason after Sean Sweeney left following the Finals loss to the New York Knicks to coach the Orlando Magic. Kornet played under Donovan for most of the 2020-21 season in Donovan’s first year as coach of the Chicago Bulls.
“Billy’s great,” Kornet said Tuesday. “He was very honest, straightforward and holds you to a high standard,” Kornet said.
A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 after leading Florida to two national titles, Donovan, 61, began looking for a new job after leaving the Bulls in late April after six seasons as head coach.Â
The Bulls were 226-256 under Donovan and missed the playoffs the last four seasons. Chicago made it to the first round of the postseason in his second season season as coach.Â
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Donovan joined Chicago after five seasons coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished that stint after mutually parting ways with the Thunder with a 243-157 record and five straight playoff appearances.
“He is just a good leader, a good teacher and good at holding you accountable to things throughout the year, which I think fits in really well with what we had (last season) and what we continue to try to grow to be,” Kornet said.
Kornet also likes that Donovan focuses on winning above all else.
“The goal (in Chicago) was always just to win,” Kornet said. “And so everything was aligned to that and all the decisions came supernaturally from that where there wasn’t really any second guessing. That is the first most important priority for a coach and obviously something he’s done for years.”
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Kornet more at ease: Kornet arrived at camp with a greater sense of comfort with last season’s maiden voyage as a Spur behind him.
Having played two seasons with New York, two seasons with Chicago and four-plus with Boston over two different stints over the previous nine seasons, the 31-year-old native of Lantana, Texas, is no stranger to the two-year process of settling in with a new team.
“I feel like that first year goes by pretty quick,” said Kornet, who signed a four-year, $41 million contract with the Spurs in July 2025. “(In the second year), you just feel a lot more home, a lot more comfortable and a lot more a part of the identity of the team and one of the guys. I feel like trying to take some ownership (in the team) is a little bit easier after you have a base.”
Kornet said he’s a big fan of the Spurs’ skip-no-steps approach and their “daily accountability to win every game.”
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“That’s something the staff does a great job of and the organization does where we just keep to our processes and try to win that day,” he said. “And then hopefully you look up and you’re at a good place in the end.
“But the joy is just in winning the day, and we started with a good first day of training camp (Tuesday).”
Champagnie recalls thriller: Spurs forward Julian Champagnie still can’t get over how thrilling it was for him and a few of his teammates to witness Texas’ 24-23 come-from-behind victory over Ohio State earlier this month in Austin.
“That was a crazy game, probably the best football game I’ve ever watched in person,” he said of the Longhorns stunning the top-ranked Buckeyes with a 21-0 fourth quarter run after trailing by 20 entering the final period.
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Champagnie said the 105,044 fans in attendance underscored the passion of Austin’s sports fans.
“Austin’s great. The fans are always there,” he said. “Obviously, we (play there every season), and they bring the energy, so I expected no (different) for that game.”
Champagnie will be back in Austin when the Spurs face the Houston Rockets at 8:30Â p.m. on Oct. 23 at Moody Center. They will also play there on Feb. 26 against the Memphis Grizzlies and on Feb. 28 versus the Denver Nuggets.Â
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