si
At 22 years old, Tarris Reed Jr. felt a wave of childhood nostalgia as he stood in a pinstripe suit, black tie, and San Antonio Spurs cap, clutching a teddy bear. "Look!" he exclaimed, shaking the stuffed animal for his phone to capture. "I had this when I was a little kid! I was like 8 years old with this little bear!" That moment came during an NBA Draft party at his family's home in St. Louis, where Reed, unsure if he'd be a first-round pick, had every team's hat ready just in case.
Fate had other plans. Years earlier, on a family vacation in Orlando, Reed won a Spurs teddy bear from a claw machine at the now-closed NBA City restaurant. As the oldest of three siblings, he eventually passed it down to his brother Trevor. But in April, after returning home from UConn to prepare for private workouts, Reed's mother, Darlene, made sure the bear resurfaced when San Antonio traded up from pick No. 35 to No. 26 to select him in the first round.
For Reed, the Spurs represent a winning culture he grew up admiring. "I've been a huge fan of Pop, Tony Parker, Kawhi (Leonard)," he told reporters on Zoom shortly after being drafted. "This is such a blessing just to be a part of it. I'm just so thankful." The teddy bear serves as a reminder of his past, while San Antonio shows him how far he still has to go.
Reed has quickly taken a liking to veteran Carter Bryant, who is still too young to legally drink, and has spoken extensively with coach Mitch Johnson about the physicality he can bring, especially on the boards. "I'm not coming here to be no superstar," Reed said. "I'm coming here to do my job."
His time at UConn under Dan Hurley prepared him for the demands of an NBA schedule. "He has the body of an NBA player," De'Aaron Fox said. "Not a lot of guys in this league are built the way that he is. But he's continuing to learn. He's continuing to get better." Now 23, Reed remains grounded. "Each and every day is a blessing," he told Spurs On SI. "Each and every day is not given. But, hey, I'm alive today. Let me make the best out of it."
During a Summer League game against the Lakers, Reed showcased his rebounding prowess. With the Spurs' shot clock winding down, the coaching staff and bench yelled "Butter!" as a warning. Reed positioned himself near the rim, and although the Summer Spurs fell 88-84, he recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds. "Tarris is going to continue to get better," said assistant coach Corliss Williamson. "He brings a physical presence, and that's one of the areas we talked about addressing once our season was over."
With Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet already on the roster, Reed knew he needed to carve out a niche. "You're not going to get a lot of shots," Williamson told him. "So, the way you impact the game is through your physicality. By crashing the offensive glass." Through five preseason games, Reed's rebounding became a standout trait. "When you have a skill that noticeably jumps off the page," Kornet said, "it gives you a great floor, knowing that you can bring something every single night. His rebounding has been that."
Reed's humility shines through. "He's tremendous," Keldon Johnson said. "He's everything you could want in a big man." After a 17-rebound performance against the Jazz, Reed critiqued himself, saying Hurley would have yelled at him for easing up in the second half. "I had 10 boards in the first half," Reed explained. "I've got to be better." Teammates were more forgiving. "He's just a dog out there," two-way guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie said. "Seventeen boards? That's insane to me." Fox added with a smile, "You can tell he's a UConn guy."
Reed's career-best rebounding game traced back to his senior season at UConn. In a March Madness first-round game against Furman, he posted 31 points and 27 rebounds. "That game was just the Lord, man," Reed said. "The Holy Spirit just took over." Hurley credited Reed's dominance: "That's as dominant a performance as you've probably seen from a big guy in tournament history. This guy's a total monster and today he was a real grizzly bear."
The bear comparison stems from a UConn film session where Hurley asked Reed what type of bear he wanted to be, showing images of Care Bears and then a scene from "The Revenant" where a man is mauled by a grizzly. "Of course I said the bear from 'The Revenant,'" Reed said. "In the next game, I played really well." Nicknames like The Kodiak, The Grizz, and T-Grizz followed. "Bears are one of the fastest animals," Reed said. "They're relentless, apex predators. That's how I have to be on the court."
Reed transferred to UConn in 2024 after two seasons at Michigan, joining a program fresh off consecutive national titles. Despite a challenging first season coming off the bench, he averaged 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. He considered leaving but ultimately returned, realizing UConn was the path to the NBA. "UConn really helped put me in the limelight," Reed said. "Helped me show everyone what type of game I had."
In his senior season, Reed started all 35 games, averaging 14.7 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks on 60.7% shooting. "I really had to embrace that part of the game where you might not get a lot of credit," Reed said of rebounding. "That's what helped us win."
Reed shares a bond with Spurs guard Stephon Castle, who also played for Hurley at UConn. Although their college tenures didn't overlap, they understand the demands of Hurley's system. "Having two UConn guys on the same team is like a cheat code," Reed said. Castle agreed: "It's great to have another Husky in the building. Do some trash talking with him."
Castle has been impressed by Reed's early play. "He's rebounding the ball like crazy," Castle said. "His footwork was sharp, so you could tell he's really been working." Reed embraces his role: "A night with zero points and 20 rebounds sounds perfect to me. Sign me up. Ten out of 10, I'll do it every time."
Off the court, Reed showcased his personality at Rookie Karaoke Night, belting Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer." "I was shocked," Keldon Johnson said. "I did not know he was going to play that song." Reed is also an avid reader and hopes to start a Bible study with Carter Bryant. "Me and C.B. are looking forward to, hopefully, starting Bible study soon," he said.
His faith grounds him. "It's so easy for me and people in general to not look around and be grateful for such small things in life," Reed said. "It may sound cliche, but it will go a long way." He credits his parents, Darlene and Tarris Reed Sr., for raising him and his brothers Trevor and Tristan. "He's got infectious energy," Mitch Johnson said. "Comes from a great family. Very rooted in the right things. That makes it easy."
Reed experienced the sting of falling short in the NCAA championship game against his former Michigan team, and the Spurs reached the NBA Finals without him. "Probably the toughest moment of my life," Reed admitted. "You come up short. It's an indescribable feeling." Now, he's ready to contribute to a team determined to return. "I'm excited for this year," Reed said. "As long as I can impact the team, it's special. I'm going to enjoy it and enjoy the journey."