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“There’s a lot of emotions going on,� Bryant said. “I’m thankful. I’m grateful. I’m just ready to get to work. I don’t think it’s hit me yet.

“To be completely honest with you, I have moments where before I go to bed, I’m like ‘Wow, I’m really a San Antonio Spur,’ or ‘I really got to shake (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver’s hand and I really get to go to a great organization.’�

The reality hit Bryant somewhat when he viewed the organization’s championship banners, heading into the team’s practice facility for an introductory event Saturday attended by media, fans and staff.

Already, he had grown up following fellow Riverside, California, native Kawhi Leonard, who became an NBA all-star with the Spurs, and Bryant spoke of other San Antonio greats who helped the organization win five NBA titles between 1999 and 2014.

“I was a big fan of Kawhi. I loved Timmy D (Tim Duncan) — that was my uncle’s favorite player,� Bryant said. “Everybody knew who Tony Parker and Manu (Ginobili) and David Robinson and all these guys were. Just growing up and seeing that dynasty kind of set the path for the rest of my childhood.

“Obviously you had a lot of great franchises that came afterwards, but they were kind of the start of it. For me to be in the position to get selected by them and being able to continue the legacy of what those before me brought is beautiful.�

After Bryant left the podium, the Spurs’ other draft pick, former Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, echoed the sentiment.

“Growing up it’s one of the teams you always want to play for,� Harper said. “Just seeing their dynasty, the banners … you want to add a few more.�

Harper and Bryant also share a friendship that could help the Spurs do so. They both told stories about a club ball game in which Harper dominated, and Bryant asked to help stop him instead of guarding the other team’s center.

“Obviously, we won,� Harper said. “I had a pretty good game. I think just from there, our bond just kept growing and growing from camp to camp to team to team, just always being with each other, around each other. I think me and him just kind of connected on and off the court.�

While Harper noted to laughter that “I think I scored on himâ€� in that club-ball game, the defensive potential Bryant flashed as a reserve player at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ is one reason why his NBA stock rose in the predraft process.

“I really like his defensive instincts,� former UA and San Antonio standout Sean Elliott said Friday, on 1450-AM’s “Eye on the Ball� show. “He does a great job moving his feet and using that athleticism on the defensive end of the floor, which is probably the hardest thing for coaches to get young players to do.

“It seems to me that he relishes playing defense, getting big blocks, getting deflections, steals, trying to generate offense with his defense. And that’s something that is really difficult to teach.�

At the NBA Combine, Bryant flashed a high-potential future as a prototypical NBA 3-and-D wing also by measuring 6-6.5 without shoes — and a 6-11.75 wingspan — while recording a maximum (running) vertical leap of 39.5 inches.

“I love his athleticism,� Elliott said. “I like the way he shoots the ball. He’s already got really good form on his shot. I would say that, at the same age, he’s a better shooter than I was. When he shoots the ball with range, he’s got a really nice looking shot, and he has really good court awareness, makes a lot of really nice passes.

“Just watching a little bit of his clips, I see a kid who has a lot of good instincts. It’s obvious to me that the coaching staff there did a great job with him. He moves well without the basketball, finding spots on the floor, makes a lot of smart back cuts, gets himself in the paint pretty easily.�

So maybe someday, Bryant and Harper can help the Spurs start putting those banners back up again. The Spurs haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2017 and haven’t appeared at all in the postseason for the past six seasons, finishing 34-48 in 2024-25.

But now they have Harper and Bryant joining a talented young core that includes 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and No. 4 2024 pick Stephon Castle. Already, the Spurs won 12 more games in 2024-25 than they did in the past two seasons.

“For a long time, I saw really good basketball, and it’s getting back to that,� Elliott said. “I’m excited for the future.�

So is Bryant.

“This what I’ve dreamed of my whole life,� Bryant said. “Eight-year-old Carter would have been geeked right now.�