NBA's minor schedule news is already history-making for the Spurs

The NBA released the schedule for their inaugural In-Season Tournament, and it brought terrific news for Spurs fans. After spending the last half-decade out of the spotlight following their unceremonious split with Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio will have three of their four group-stage games broadcasted on national television this season.

The Silver and Black had 13 nationally televised regular-season contests in 2018-19, four in 2019-20, and three over the last three seasons. While it might have felt like Commissioner Adam Silver slighted San Antonio, the team became an increasingly tough product to sell as they routinely finished around the bottom of the standings.

Thanks to some timely lottery luck, the Spurs were afforded the once-in-a-lifetime chance to choose Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Scouts have lauded the 7-foot-3 teenager as the best basketball prospect since LeBron James, and his instant marketability has put this storied franchise back on the map.

Wembanyama is already a household name across the globe, and he will face established superstars like Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, De'Aaron Fox, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the Spurs battle to make it to the knockout rounds of the In-Season Tournament. Even with the brilliant rookie leading the charge, San Antonio is an underdog.

The Spurs are in Group C, which includes the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors, clubs that qualified for the Play-In Tournament or Playoffs last season. Regardless of where San Antonio finishes, it will be refreshing to see this talented young core take center stage on ESPN and TNT.