Reports: Landale Signs with San Antonio Spurs

The NBLxNBA connection continues to grow with Melbourne United star Jock Landale signing a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Landale joins the Spurs after a sensational 2020/21 NBL season, as the 25-year-old averaged 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in United’s championship winning campaign. Landale was also a member of the All-NBL First Team and won the Grand Final MVP in Melbourne’s sweep of the Perth Wildcats.

Landale is currently at the Tokyo Olympics with the Australian Boomers as they prepare for the semi-finals against the USA – who are coached by Landale’s new coach at the Spurs, Gregg Popovich. Landale is posting 13.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in a starting role with the Boomers at the Olympics.

Landale joins a number of recent players to use the NBL as a pathway to the NBA including Didi Louzada (Sydney Kings-New Orleans Pelicans), Will Magnay (Brisbane Bullets-New Orleans Pelicans) and Cam Oliver (Cairns Taipans-Houston Rockets).

The Spurs have a long Australian connection dating back to 1999 when Andrew Gaze was a member of their championship team that season. Shane Heal also played with San Antonio in 2003.

Landale will be following in the footsteps of Boomers teammates Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, who are former San Antonio players. Mills played with the Spurs from 2012-2021 while Baynes started his NBA career there from 2013-2015.

Current Boomers assistant coach and former Sydney Kings player Matt Nielsen also has a link to the franchise as he is the head coach of the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s NBA G-League affiliate.

Prior to his NBL stint, Landale played professionally with BC Žalgiris in Lithuania and KK Partizan in Serbia. He played college basketball for Saint Mary’s from 2014-2018.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Australian center Jock Landale — the 2021 NBL Grand Final MVP — has agreed to a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, his agent Sammy Wloszczowski of <a href="https://twitter.com/SIGSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SIGSports</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.</p>&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422724287966949378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The latest to make the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLxNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLxNBA</a> leap ?<br><br>NBL21 Grand Final MVP Jock Landale has reportedly signed with the San Antonio Spurs on a two-year deal according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/vb3QkAMSZX">pic.twitter.com/vb3QkAMSZX</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1422725707810017286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CONGRATULATIONS <a href="https://twitter.com/JockLandale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JockLandale</a>!<br>We couldn&#39;t be more proud of you!<a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MelbUnitedHQ</a> ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spurs</a> <a href="https://t.co/rAOHWIkeG6">pic.twitter.com/rAOHWIkeG6</a></p>&mdash; Melbourne United (@MelbUnitedHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ/status/1422725815884685316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So pumped for <a href="https://twitter.com/JockLandale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JockLandale</a>!!! <br><br>Congrats brother ??</p>&mdash; Joe Ingles (@Joeingles7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joeingles7/status/1422733549535256580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hell Yes <a href="https://twitter.com/JockLandale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JockLandale</a> !!!!<br><br>Much deserved. <a href="https://t.co/fvrNT8Uwi8">https://t.co/fvrNT8Uwi8</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewbogut/status/1422729776905682945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>