Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and his staff are set to intensify their focus on accountability this season with the addition of Billy Donovan as an assistant.
Center Luke Kornet shared this message with reporters on the first day of training camp when asked about the Hall of Fame coach joining the defending Western Conference champions.
The Spurs hired Donovan during the offseason after Sean Sweeney departed following the Finals loss to the New York Knicks to become the Orlando Magic’s head coach. Kornet played under Donovan for most of the 2020‑21 season during Donovan’s debut year as Chicago Bulls head coach.
“Billy’s great,” Kornet said Tuesday. “He was very honest, straightforward and holds you to a high standard,” he added.
Donovan, 61, earned induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 after leading Florida to two national titles. He began searching for a new role after leaving the Bulls in late April following six seasons as their head coach.
Chicago posted a 226‑256 record under Donovan and missed the playoffs in each of his final four seasons. The Bulls reached the first round of the postseason in his second year behind the bench.
Donovan previously spent five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, compiling a 243‑157 record and guiding the team to five consecutive playoff appearances before parting ways mutually.
“He is just a good leader, a good teacher and good at holding you accountable to things throughout the year, which I think fits in really well with what we had (last season) and what we continue to try to grow to be,” Kornet observed.
Kornet also values Donovan’s unwavering focus on winning.
“The goal (in Chicago) was always just to win,” Kornet noted. “And so everything was aligned to that and all the decisions came from that where there wasn’t really any second guessing. That is the first most important priority for a coach and obviously something he’s done for years.”
Kornet more at ease: Kornet arrived at camp feeling more comfortable after his rookie season with the Spurs, allowing him to settle into the system more quickly.
Having spent two seasons with New York, two with Chicago, and over four with Boston across two stints in the past nine seasons, the 31‑year‑old from Lantana, Texas, is no stranger to the two‑year adjustment period that comes with a new team.
“I feel like that first year goes by pretty quick,” said Kornet, who signed a four‑year, $41 million contract with the Spurs in July 2025. “In the second year, you just feel a lot more home, a lot more comfortable and a lot more a part of the identity of the team and one of the guys. I feel like trying to take some ownership (in the team) is a little bit easier after you have a base.”
Kornet praised the Spurs’ methodical approach and their emphasis on “daily accountability to win every game.”
“That’s something the staff does a great job of and the organization does where we just keep to our processes and try to win that day,” he said. “And then hopefully you look up and you’re at a good place in the end. But the joy is just in winning the day, and we started with a good first day of training camp (Tuesday).”
Champagnie Recalls Thriller: Spurs forward Julian Champagnie remains thrilled by the memory of Texas’s 24‑23 comeback victory over Ohio State earlier this month in Austin.
“That was a crazy game, probably the best basketball game I’ve ever watched in person,” he said, describing how the Longhorns overtook the top‑ranked Buckeyes with a 21‑0 fourth‑quarter run after trailing by 20 entering the final period.
Champagnie noted the electrifying atmosphere, pointing to the 105,044 fans in attendance as a testament to Austin’s passionate sports scene.
“Austin’s great. The fans are always there,” he remarked. “Obviously, we (play there every season), and they bring the energy, so I expected no (different) for that game.”
Champagnie is set to return to Austin when the Spurs face the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. on October 23 at Moody Center. Additional games in Austin are scheduled for February 26 against the Memphis Grizzlies and February 28 versus the Denver Nuggets.