SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 03: Ja’Kobi Gillespie #17 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots over Ryan Conwell #7 of the Miami Heat during the second half in the California Classic a NBA Summer League game at Chase Center on July 03, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO — Rookie guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie was not surprised to find himself among the smallest players on the Spurs’ Summer League roster.
For the 6-foot-1 former Tennessee Volunteer, that has more or less been a way of life from the time he first picked up a basketball.
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“I’ve always been the smallest player,” Gillespie said. “So I think just growing up like that kind of got me ready to play at a higher level.”
Gillespie’s small stature did not prevent him from turning in an All-SEC season at Tennessee as a senior. Nor did it stop the Spurs from selecting him in the second round of last month’s NBA draft.
With Summer League in full swing in San Francisco, Gillespie is out to show the world — starting with the Spurs’ coaching staff — that his size won’t keep him from being a productive player at the NBA level, either.
“I think I can still impact winning,” Gillespie said.
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All of this is relative, of course.
If Gillespie were an attorney, he might be the tallest person at the law firm. By the standards of modern NBA backcourts, however, Gillespie is practically Lilliputian.
In a league in which size and defensive versatility are viewed as must-have items, even for point guards, the 22-year-old Gillespie is seeking to become a bit of a throwback.
Gillespie was named after Los Angeles Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant, but grew up modeling his game on another pint-sized point guard, Chris Paul.
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Furthermore, he could not help but notice the Most Valuable Player of last month’s NBA Finals — New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson — isn’t exactly a skyscraper either.
The only player smaller on the Spurs’ Summer League roster, coincidentally enough, is also a former Tennessee Volunteer.
Zakai Ziegler, a 5-foot-9 guard, was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025 before spending last season playing professionally with the French club Nanterre 92, one of Victor Wembanyama’s former teams.
The way Gillespie sees it, he can make up for his lack of size with an abundance of heart.
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“I feel like as a small guard, you just got to be a dog,” Gillespie said. “You can’t let people pick on you. You’ve got to be strong.”
From a shooting perspective, Gillespie’s NBA Summer League debut did not go so well.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 03: Ja’Kobi Gillespie #17 of the San Antonio Spurs defends Jahmir Young #17 of the Miami Heat during the first half in the California Classic, an NBA Summer League game, at Chase Center on July 03, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 03: Ja’Kobi Gillespie #17 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three-point shot over Jahmir Young #17 of the Miami Heat during the second half in the California Classic, an NBA Summer League game, at Chase Center on July 03, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
San Antonio Spurs rookie Ja’Kobi Gillespie poses for a picture with Spurs general manager Brian Wright during a news conference at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Spurs rookie Tarris Reed Jr., right, shakes hands with his new rookie teammate Ja’Kobi Gillespie during a news conference at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
Gillespie went 3-of-17 in the Spurs’ 88-87 loss to Miami in the opener at the California Classic on Friday in San Francisco. He was looking for a bounce-back in that department as the Spurs’ squad returned to the Chase Center to face Golden State on Sunday.
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Gillespie said his biggest adjustment came in the speed of the professional game compared from what he was used to in college.
“One thing I noticed was how fast it was,” Gillespie said. “It’s up and down and up and down.”
Corliss Williamson, Gillespie’s Summer League coach, is confident the rookie will rediscover the shooting stroke that made Gillespie one of the SEC’s top scorers last season at 18.3 points per game.
Aside from wayward shooting, Williamson was pleased with Gillespie’s work as a point guard in his first Summer League contest, noting he led the Spurs with eight assists against the Heat.
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“There were definitely some good things there,” Williamson said. “I thought he handled the ball well. He got us organized when we needed to get organized. He was able to get into the paint, get some open looks and create for the other guys.”
The Spurs’ coaching staff has reason to be optimistic when it comes to Gillespie. His resume at Tennessee speaks for itself.
After spending his first two college seasons at Belmont and one at Maryland, Gillespie transferred to the Volunteers program as a senior and helped lead the Rick Barnes-coached club to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.
He scored in double figures in 29 of his 31 contests as a senior, with a dozen 20-point outings, and became the first player in conference history to log at least 100 3-pointers and 200 assists in a season.
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Gillespie was hardly a one-way player for Tennessee.
He established the school record for steals with 79 and set the single-game mark with eight – a number Gillespie reached twice last season.
Even at 6-1, Gillespie vows the defensive part of his game will translate to the next level.
“It will definitely be an adjustment,” Gillespie said. “There are more athletic, bigger guys.”
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Having signed a two-way contract with the Spurs, Gillespie is ticketed to spend the bulk of his rookie season in the G League.
He will have time to get his feet underneath him, learn the league and learn what it takes to see the floor at the NBA level.
“He’s going to continue to learn and continue to grow,” Williamson said. “We’re happy to have him.”
Of course, Gillespie is unlikely to continue to grow literally.
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He will always be 6-1, which means he will always be playing against players bigger than he is.
As he has done throughout his basketball-playing life, Gillespie aims to make it work for him in the NBA.
“I’ve always been the smallest,” Gillespie said. “But I don’t feel like the smallest on the court anymore when I’m playing.”
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