Pat Spencer explains how his old lacrosse stardom helps NBA career with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Pat Spencer was a lacrosse superstar before becoming the two-way Warriors guard that Dub Nation loves today.
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Over four seasons between 2016-19 at Loyola University Maryland, the former attackman set the record for assists at the Division I level with 231 and won the Tewaaraton Award — which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy — as a senior. It wasn’t until Spencer transferred to Northwestern for the 2019-20 campaign that he prioritized basketball.
Spencer finished with a career-high 19 points with seven assists in Golden State’s short-handed 99-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Rocket Arena. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke, alongside Zena Keita and Festus Ezeli, asked Spencer if his lacrosse experience helps his NBA court vision during “Warriors Postgame Live.”
“It definitely does [help],” Spencer told Burke, Ezeli and Keita. “[I] just feel like there’s a real overlap between the two sports. I’m a believer in being an athlete first. Ultimately, my focus is going to be [on being] a team player, pass-first and [to] get other guys involved and find a way to help the team win. If it means scoring a couple of big buckets, great; if it means I score zero points, I’m truly happy to do it.”
Spencer has done an excellent job of making the right reads within his expanding opportunities during the 2025-26 NBA season. Specifically, he is taking smart shots when open and creating opportunities for teammates when he isn’t.
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Saturday’s win was Spencer’s debut as a starter in coach Steve Kerr’s lineup. And the 29-year-old played with the same ball control he possessed as a lacrosse attackman.
Considering Kerr said that Spencer is “that motherf–ker,” it’s clear that the three-year NBA veteran’s lacrosse experience is helping him see the floor.
