Delilah Jeter’s face lit up when Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant started communicating with her in American Sign Language.
“It made me feel happy,” she said.
The 8-year-old fan was one of 22 students from Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf who attended the game as guests of Spurs corporate sponsor Ticketmaster as part of its ongoing commitment to championing accessibility at live events.
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For Bryant, the pre-game session with the first through fourth graders was another opportunity for him to interact with San Antonio’s deaf and hard of hearing community.
“I grew up in the deaf community, so I’m proud to be part of it,” Bryant said. “The deaf community raised me in part, so I want to try to do everything to give back as much as I can.”
Bryant’s maternal grandparents, Mike “Doc” Torres and Shelly Freed, are deaf. His mother, Sabrina Torres, is a sign language interpreter and his father, D’Cean Bryant, is a former college basketball player at Long Beach State who once coached the girls team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, Calif., where his son grew up.
READ MORE: ‘That’s messed up’: Why the NBA needs Victor Wembanyama more than ever
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Carter Bryant is following in his grandfather’s footsteps as a basketball player. “Doc” Torres is a member of the USA Deaf Basketball Hall of Fame after starring at Gallaudet University in the mid-1980s. His career highlights include playing professionally in Puerto Rico for 14 seasons and helping the 1985 USA team win the gold medal at the Los Angeles Deaf Olympics.
Carter Bryant’s grandmother is a longtime educator and administrator at the California School for the Deaf.
With his strong ties to the deaf and hard of hearing community, Bryant is always eager to help Sunshine Cottage, which was founded in 1947 by John H. White Sr. and his wife, Dela Tuleta Wright White, after learning their first child, Tuleta, was born with profound hearing loss.
“Carter has taken such a special interest in our community and our school specifically,” Sunshine Cottage executive director Miriam Elizondo said. “The students connect to him because he is young and has this open heart. He comes from a very wonderful family and he is bringing so much inclusivity and awareness to our community.”
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Jeter’s uncle, Francisco Gonzalez, said it’s “amazing” how much Bryant cares about the Sunshine Cottage students and that his niece was thrilled to meet him.
“You definitely just want to bring them the best experience you can,” Bryant said. “It’s important to understand the importance of everybody and that everybody is equal and everybody deserves to be treated that way. I’m just standing up for what I believe.”
Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf student Vanellope Medina, 9, receives an autograph from San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant (11) before the home opener against the Brooklyn Nets at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News)
Kornet’s injury ‘short term’
The Spurs don’t have a timetable for how long backup center Luke Kornet will be sidelined with the sprained left ankle that forced him to miss Sunday’s home opener against Brooklyn, but coach Mitch Johnson said the injury is “nothing serious.”
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“Just got to give him time and make sure we take care of him,” Johnson said. “We’re viewing this as a short-term absence probably.”
Kornet came off the bench in Friday’s 120-116 overtime victory over New Orleans to record his first double-double with San Antonio as he scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He also had four assists and a block in 35 minutes, including playing all five minutes of OT after Victor Wembanyama fouled out early in the extra session.
READ MORE: Why De’Aaron Fox is ‘close’ to making season debut for Spurs
Kornet had two points, four rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes in last week’s season-opening 125-92 win in Dallas.
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Johnson did not say when or how Kornet suffered the injury against the Pelicans, but suggested it was a byproduct of his heavy workload.
“He played a ton of minutes,” Johnson said. “That obviously wouldn’t be the plan for 82 games.”
The Spurs also faced the Nets without De’Aaron Fox (hamstring), Kelly Olynyk (heel), Jeremy Sochan (wrist) and Lindy Waters III (eye).
The Spurs have been without Fox, Olynyk, Sochan since the start of the preseason and Waters since the exhibition finale.
“They are getting closer and they’re doing more,” Johnson said of the injured players. “The good thing is it’s all trending the right way and, honestly, that’s all I’m really concerned with. I’m not waiting to see if it’s this day of the week or that day of the week or which week it is. It’s just as long as it’s trending the right way.”
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Spurs continue to aid Hill Country
The Spurs hosted 1,000 fans, including first responders, teachers, students and families, from the flood-ravaged Hill Country on Sunday as part of their ongoing efforts to support the grieving community.
“We’ve been up to the Hill Country numerous times publicly and privately, and we have a big group here today,” Johnson said. “Obviously, that’s still at the forefront and we are excited to host them today.”
The Spurs held a practice last month at Tom Moore High School in Ingram in an effort to raise spirits. They also teamed with the NBA and the other two Texas, the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, teams to donate $2 million to flood relief efforts.
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The catastrophic flood in July killed at least 135 people and caused more than a billion dollars in property damage.
This article originally published at Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf students have friend in Spurs’ Carter Bryant.
