The screen dividing the courts at San Diego State’s JAM Center practice facility came down. The intensity went up.
There was a palpable buzz on the side used by the Aztecs men’s basketball team for an hourlong summer workout Tuesday morning because of who was on the other side: former Aztec and current NBA legend Kawhi Leonard.
“I’m sure they love having him in the gym,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “The guy is a two-time NBA Finals MVP and he’s got two rings. He’s the ultimate winner. It motivates me, so I know it motivates them.”
It’s not the first time Leonard has conducted offseason training at the JAM Center or elsewhere in San Diego. It’s actually a fairly regular occurrence. But for this SDSU roster, half of which are newcomers, having “Y” practicing on the adjacent court is a new experience.
“They just see a guy with the ultimate work ethic, a guy who never stops working,” Dutcher said. “Sometimes guys get their contracts and they get their money and just show up and play. Kawhi never gives up on the game. He’s always working on something, every single day, trying to be the best version of himself. That’s the way he’s always been.”
Leonard, of course, wasn’t supposed to be here. He planned to be with the U.S. Olympic team in Dubai and London, playing the final exhibitions before the Summer Games in Paris.
He was on the original 12-man roster. USA Basketball representatives came to Los Angeles in early July to assess his progress after knee inflammation cut short his NBA season in the first round of the playoffs. Then he participated in three practices at Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas last week.
The morning before the first exhibition, and less than 24 hours after telling media his knee felt fine and he planned to suit up against Canada, USA Basketball announced it was replacing him with Derrick White of the Boston Celtics.
Leonard hasn’t spoken to media since. Lawrence Frank, the L.A. Clippers president of basketball operations, told reporters Monday that it wasn’t their decision to scratch the 6-foot-6 wing but USA Basketball’s. And less than a week later, Leonard was clearly fit enough to conduct a robust workout in the JAM Center.
“I was, quite frankly, very disappointed with the decision,” Frank said. “Kawhi wanted to play. We wanted him to play. I was there the first two practices. He looked very good and was a full participant in everything they did. … I really wish they would have given Kawhi more time.
“He looked good to me. I know all the sacrifices he made in order to make this commitment to the Olympics, so it was very disappointing.”
Pierce passing
SDSU announced the death of Fred Pierce IV, who received undergraduate and MBA degrees there in the 1980s and has been active in various areas at the university ever since, both as an adviser and major donor. He was 61.
Professionally, he was president and CEO of Pierce Educational Properties, which developed modern student housing complexes at SDSU and other schools across the country. He also was among the athletic department’s biggest boosters, regularly making high-dollar contributions, helping quietly with NIL payments to athletes, even chartering a plane for basketball players and coaches to fly to Sacramento to be honored by the state Legislature following the 2023 run to the national championship game.
Pierce was a key figure, both in public and behind the scenes, helping SDSU win the ballot referendum allowing it to purchase the Mission Valley property from the city and then build Snapdragon Stadium, the centerpiece of a major campus expansion. The stadium’s upper suite level is named in his honor. Dutcher presented him with a Final Four ring.
“Fred was the embodiment of Aztec for Life and that Aztec spirit,” athletic director John David Wicker said in the university release. “He was always looking for ways to contribute.”
Summer practice
The Aztecs are in their third week of summer practice, which continues through Aug. 9. Players then get a couple weeks off before fall semester.
Dutcher’s progress report:
“I’m still watching everything with an open mind, deciding what is the best way for this group to play. It’s a little ragged out there right now, because I’m just letting them play. I’m trying to see what their strengths and weaknesses are. Then I’ve got to settle on, with the coaching staff, a style of play that I think will be effective for us. It’s hard to judge right away, because you have to see what everybody’s skill set is, see what they’re capable of doing. We’re getting a feel for everyone’s game.”
Summer League
Through two NBA Summer League games, Nathan Mensah has the best numbers of the three former SDSU players in Las Vegas.
“Nathan is playing really well,” Dutcher said of Mensah, who is averaging 11.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 72.7 percent for the San Antonio Spurs despite battling a bad back. “He looks like he’s played in the NBA. He looks like an experienced guy.”
Keshad Johnson, who signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat shortly after going undrafted, is averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 25.1 minutes in two Las Vegas games. He has a slight advantage in that he played three prior summer league games in Northern California, including a 21-point, eight-rebound performance against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Keshad will have a chance,” Dutcher said of Johnson, who spent his final college season at Arizona. “I think he’ll find his way into the NBA, and when he does, we’ll take credit for another Aztec being in the NBA because he played four years here.”
Jaedon LeDee, the Karl Malone Award winner as college basketball’s top power forward last season, has played the least and has struggled the most. He has yet to score in three games, one playing 13½ minutes, one playing eight and Tuesday night playing only 2:24. One positive sign: The Timberwolves were plus-18 points with him on the floor in their first game, an 81-74 win against New Orleans.
“Jaedon hasn’t got much opportunity yet,” Dutcher said. “Hopefully it will come as the Summer League goes on. It’s hard to do anything when you’re getting eight or nine minutes per game. I think he’s more versatile than he’s probably being allowed to play right now. We’ll see if he can get in a situation where he can show some of his versatility.”
