SAN ANTONIO — Congratulations to San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley, who saw his South Bend Riley High School No. 0 jersey retired.
The ceremony was held on Feb. 16, and his family surrounded him for the special moment.
“I had the goosebumps when I walked out there, and I saw everybody,” Wesley said. “I saw the student section, the teammates, and the coach and staff were great to me. I’m happy and I’m thankful.”
“It feels great. I think I’m the first one to get my number retired, so it’s going in the history books,” he said. “I thank God for putting me in this position. I thank Ms. Anderson, I thank Alex Day. Everybody that has supported me throughout this way.”
Wesley graduated from Indiana High School in 2021. He was named an Indiana All-Star and averaged 27.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.1 assists in his final year.
Ahead of the ceremony, he appreciated the honor and recalled his favorite memory.
"It means a lot. Just thankful. I trusted God through the opportunity," he said.
Said Wesley: "My favorite high school memory was beating the No. 5 team in state. It's always on my mind."
Wesley would go on to play for Notre Dame before being selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
WESLEY GIVES AN ASSIST TO THE HOMETOWN LOCAL FIRE DEPT.
Before seeing his high school jersey retired, Wesley visited South Bend’s Central Fire Station to show his appreciation for their tireless work.
“I’m back here in South Bend, All-Star break, I wanted to come see my family, come see the kids at Madison (STEAM Academy), and then come to the fire station,” Wesley explained. “We all know that six kids passed away about three weeks ago, so I wanted to bring joy to the kids at Madison, bring joy to the people here at the fire station. They risk their lives every day for us, and I’m happy to be here.”
Wesley donated food, signed autographs, and snapped photos with the community.