ROY favorite Stephon Castle's mom gets emotional at Spurs' tear-jerking gesture for her

Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs will be under the spotlight on Christmas when they take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But Before the game, Castle's mother had an emotional moment with her son during the Spurs' practice on Tuesday.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Quannette Castle shared the Spurs' post showing the family presenting Stephon with his 2024 NCAA championship ring from the UConn Huskies. The players also sang "Happy Birthday" to mama Castle, who will celebrate her 50th birthday on Christmas.

"An emotional day for me.. early birthday present… thank you @spurs for making me cry today.. thank you @UConnMBB for being champions I could not be more proud to hand him the rings today! I thought I was just going to a practice.. smile says it all," Quannette tweeted.

Stephon Castle was born in Covington, Georgia, to parents Stacey and Quannette Castle. His father was teammates with San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan at Wake Forest. The Spurs landed Stephon with the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Before turning pro, Stephon Castle played one season for the UConn Huskies. As a starter for the defending NCAA champions, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Castle played a key role in the Huskies' second consecutive championship. He then entered the draft and quickly became one of the favorites to win the prestigious NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Going into Wednesday's contest, the 20-year-old guard is averaging 11.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He has started for the Spurs whenever Devin Vassell is injured or getting rested.

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Stephon Castle tops the latest NBA Rookie Ladder

Stephon Castle tops the latest NBA Rookie Ladder. (Photo: IMAGN)

There wasn't a lot of fanfare for the 2024 NBA Draft Class, with many predicting it as one of the worst in recent memory. However, some rookies have stepped up and carved a role for their respective teams.

One of those rookies is Stephon Castle, who has become a vital piece for the San Antonio Spurs. Castle can play as a starter or even come off the bench to provide scoring and defense.

According to the latest NBA Rookie Ladder, Castle remains at first after another solid week. He's ahead of Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans, Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies, Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards and Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stephon Castle has the second-best odds to win Rookie of the Year, according to Fox Sports. His chances of winning will likely depend on the amount of playing time he gets, especially with Devin Vassell now healthy.