SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs Family is mourning the loss of Michael De Leon, who founded one of the first websites dedicated to covering the team and mentored countless young sports journalists.
De Leon was diagnosed with leukemia in early March, and his family announced Monday that he had passed away at the age of 45. He is survived by his mother and five siblings, and he leaves a legacy of lifting up others.
As news of his death spread throughout the online community of Spurs fans that he helped build, tributes poured in from readers of his work and many writers who said that De Leon was instrumental in helping them start careers in media. The team's official Twitter account added to the chorus of support.
"All the tweets you are seeing about him right now, willing to help people, are true," said Jeff Garcia, a current KENS 5 contributor who co-founded Project Spurs with De Leon in 2004. It was one of the first blogs focused on Spurs basketball, and the Spurscast became the first podcast to cover the team.
"He would always tell me when we were bringing on new kids how much he saw potential and willingness to teach. He had a big heart, wanted to be friends with all and taught me a few life lessons," Garcia said. "He would want everyone to 'be cool' with one another, laugh and cheer for the Spurs."
De Leon's family has set up a fundraiser to cover funeral expenses and set up a scholarship fund to continue his legacy of teaching young journalists. Members of the community have raised over $10,000, and the Spurs and CEO RC Buford made large contributions as well.
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"When Mike was born on Valentine’s Day, he was not breathing and had to be intubated. He was a month premature but my little one fought to survive," his mother Christine said in a Facebook post. "Throughout his life, Michael faced so many health issues many of which were critical and life threatening. Not once did he give up, not once did he complain, and not once did he lose his faith in God. When things got rough, I always said to him, 'Michael Alan De Leon, I laid at death’s door giving you birth so hurry up and get better.' Yesterday, as he lay at death’s door, I remembered those words. I find great comfort in knowing that his suffering has ended and that he is with our Lord. At times I feel like I can’t breathe but please know that all of your amazing tributes and words of comfort bring me great joy. Losing Mike is the last thing I expected but as I’ve always said, God has a plan and He never gives us more than we can handle."
Spurs community remembers De Leon
"Mike was one of the most humble, caring people you’ll ever meet," said Paul Garcia, who has worked for Project Spurs since 2011. It's a role that has allowed him to cover Spurs games in person as a credentialed member of the media, including for the 2014 title run.
"He always wanted to see others become successful. He helped me and countless others get their start in the media business. I still can’t even process that he’s gone," Garcia said.
"The only reason I get to wake up every single morning to do what I do is because of (De Leon)," tweeted John Diaz, a Project Spurs alumnus who currently works for KENS 5's sister station in Houston, KHOU. "My mentor. My brother. My friend. He believed in me. He made me better. But most importantly, he inspired me."
"All but one of these opportunities on this old resume was thanks to (De Leon)," said Mariah Medina, who spent several years as a reporter here at KENS 5. "I wonder if he ever realized just how big of an impact he had on the careers of so many journalists."
A staggering number of people had similar stories about De Leon sharing his platform and knowledge, often giving aspiring sportswriters their first real shot in the industry and continuing to support them long after they had moved on to other opportunities. Nick Harris of Rivals and Yahoo! said he was just 15 when Michael helped him get his start.
That generosity extended even to people who De Leon never worked with directly. Dakota Mitchell, a graphic designer who sells sports-inspired merchandise, said that Michael was a big supporter of his work. He designed a t-shirt in honor of De Leon, with all proceeds going to his scholarship fund. The design features the message, "Mike Made Me."
A personal connection
Mike was an active teacher who enthusiastically shared not just his platform and access, but his knowledge as well. From writing and basketball to building a website and running a business, he was a willing resource to anybody who sought his help.
He edited the work of his young writers hard to make them better, but always in an understanding way. One of his true talents was identifying people who love this sort of thing and helping them make the transition from fan to professional.
A big part of his mentorship with "rookie" writers was teaching us to avoid opinion and break the habit of speaking in the first person, a big-time journalistic no-no.
Well, I'm sorry boss, but just this once I'm going to break that rule again. I'm one of those people who got their first opportunity in journalism because of Mike. I don't know where I would be in life without his support.
In 2015, I was mourning the loss of my father and looking for a career where I could wake up every morning and love it. Along with my current KENS 5 colleague Jeff Garcia, Mike brought me into Project Spurs as I explored this passion I have for talking about sports. My primary skills at that point were making dumb Photoshop images that I thought were funny.
They gave me tools, helped me build my skills as a writer and analyst, allowed me to showcase my work on their site, and trusted me enough to get me credentialed for the 2016 NBA Draft. That was the night that I decided I wanted to do this as a career, and the opportunities that Mike continued to give me along the way helped me turn that dream into a reality.
I knew how generous he was, but on Monday I was floored by seeing the sheer number of people whom he taught, helped, inspired and believed in over the years. He spent his life lifting people up with a smile, a shining example for those who knew him and even those who didn't.
In the personal opinion of this journalist, that's a special legacy to leave.
