One of the four players participating in this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest will come from Newton County.

According to a report from ESPN Senior NBA insider Shams Charania, San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle has committed to compete in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The contest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15 during NBA All Star Weekend in San Francisco. 

The event is expected to be televised on ESPN platforms, alongside the NBA Rising Stars exhibition game. While participants for that game have not been listed as of this writing, Castle may also be a candidate to play in that game as well.

This marks the latest in what has been a solid rookie campaign for the Newton County native.  With the Spurs, Castle currently averages 11.6 PPG along with a 40.4 field-goal percentage. 

Before his time on the Spurs, Castle was a standout guard for the Newton Rams from 2019-23. After graduating from Newton High, he attended the University of Connecticut (UConn) for one season where he won a national championship.

Castle was selected fourth overall by the Spurs during the 2024 NBA Draft and is considered to be a front-runner for NBA Rookie of the Year.