Cam Spencer had seen that emotion before.
On Dec. 4, from his apartment roughly 1,000 miles away in Memphis, Tenn., Cam watched as his older brother, Pat, knocked down a 3-pointer in the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The shot gave the Warriors the lead with just over a minute remaining, but it was what Pat screamed to the Philly crowd after he walked back across half court that garnered attention
“I’m that mother f—er!” Pat Spencer shouted.
Cam, a guard for the Grizzlies, wasn’t surprised. He’s seen his brother do it a thousand times growing up.
“I was honestly trying to read his lips to see what he said,” Cam said. “And when he said it the second time, I knew what he said. I was just hyped … All the work he’s put in — to be able to have a moment like that was pretty cool. I’m rooting for him all the way.”
A couple of days later, Pat stood in front of his locker in Cleveland after scoring 19 points in a surprise win over the Cavaliers. Asked about his vivid outburst in Philadelphia, he said he’s not even sure what comes out of his mouth when the big moments hit.
“You think I’m lying,” he told The Athletic. “But I genuinely black out when I go apes— like that.”
That fire — and the attitude Pat brings to the court — was on display Monday night, when he guarded Cam for several possessions in the Warriors’ 114-113 win over the Grizzlies. Pat finished with 17 points, another snapshot of the edge that has fueled his unexpected rise. It’s what has carried him from the pinnacle of one sport to the unforgiving world of another — and what recently led the Warriors to convert his two-way contract to a standard contract for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Pat’s path to the NBA is unique. The 29-year-old was a world-class lacrosse player, setting the NCAA men’s lacrosse record for career assists with 231, before transitioning to basketball late. He played one year of college ball at Northwestern before chasing an NBA dream that required G-League stops, training-camp invites, two-way contracts and moments of uncertainty.
His teammate Al Horford said it’s unlike any story he’s ever heard of in this league.
“I’ve never seen that,” said the 18-year NBA veteran. “And I’ve talked to him because I’ve been so curious about that transition. It’s like that dude, you got to have a different mindset and a different will to you. He literally willed his way here. … So, a lot of respect for him, how he approaches the day-to-day and how he prepares himself. And he’s earned to be in this position.”
Pat Spencer’s competitive nature within the Warriors’ facility is well-known. Ask around, and there’s always a story about how frustrated he can get after losing a pick-up game, how intensely he treats each rep and how seriously he takes film sessions even when his role is uncertain.
“He’s like one of the coaches over there,” former Warriors guard Buddy Hield said. “Because in [the] film session he’s always talking, so he knows what the coaches want and he has that eye. He has a great basketball mind. I think he’s going to have a bright future after basketball in this league, too. I love him a lot. … I understand him. I understand his struggles.”
It’s why Spencer has earned the respect that he has throughout the locker room. It’s why his coach, Steve Kerr, admitted feeling relief last Thursday after the Warriors’ win over the Phoenix Suns, when Spencer scored a career-high 20 points and, once Golden State traded Hield and Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta, an open roster spot became available after Spencer had played the maximum of 50 games under his two-way deal.
“I was really worried that we were gonna lose him after 50 games and not be able to do anything,” Kerr said. “So, it’s a relief to now get him on the main roster, and you can see what he’s capable of.”
In his last three games, Pat Spencer is averaging 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.7 made 3 per game. (Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)
In true fashion, Spencer didn’t want to acknowledge the significance of what was coming. Minutes after Kerr spoke, Spencer reiterated that he was thankful for the opportunity the organization had given him and proud of the work he and the Warriors had done together over the past three seasons as he bounced between the G League and the NBA.
Even after his contract conversion became official days later, Spencer still wasn’t ready to celebrate.
“It feels good just to know we’re locked in for the rest of the year,” Spencer said matter-of-factly after Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The answer was another reminder of why the Warriors took a chance on him in the first place. Spencer plays with a permanent chip on his shoulder. As the team notes in its media guide, this is a man who wears the No. 61 because he wore No. 7 in lacrosse and 6+1=7. And because there are 60 picks in the NBA Draft — and he was not one of them.
Every night, he has something to prove.
Spencer’s competitive edge did not develop overnight. He credits his parents, Donna and Bruce, for it. He says his brothers, Cam and Will, are wired the same way.
“I’ve been like this my whole life,” Pat said. “Whether a buddy’s in second grade at a birthday party and losing it on my buddies. Just growing up with two younger brothers, we competed at everything.”
Ping-pong. Video games. Cornhole. Basketball games in the driveway. There was always another game somewhere.
“We joke,” Pat said. “Thanksgiving morning, we always go down to the Naval Academy with my uncle and his crew. It ends up in a fight. Someone has to lose.”
While it’s tougher to pull off now that two Spencer brothers are in the midst of NBA schedules, Cam says the pair still talk and text each other all the time and are always watching each other’s games when they can. The fire that defines Pat doesn’t surprise Cam, because he’s seen it all along.
“Not even with just sports,” Cam said. “Things we would do off the court. Like when we get to our beach place in the summer, we’re trying to be the first one on the elevator to say we were first. Calling shotgun to get the front seat. Little things like that that we’re trying to beat the other in.”
That mentality explains why Pat has been able to make this leap from one sport to another. He doesn’t care who is in front of him.
“I never have,” Pat said. “I feel like I’ve always had to earn everything that way. I was undersized, didn’t have a ton of opportunity in lacrosse. I only had two offers in high school. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder.”
Cam said his brother has had to fight perceptions for years.
“He’s just continued to prove people wrong each step of the way,” Cam said. “And takes it day by day and just puts the work in … He’s got a lot of heart. I feel like he’s got, not cockiness, but a self-belief that he’s gonna prove people wrong …
“This guy was literally begging for a spot on a G League team two or three years ago. I remember waiting for the call in Washington to just get him a G League spot that he had to fight for and earn that.”
Now a full-time NBA player, Pat’s got to continue to prove he can stay on this level when given those opportunities. In December, he went on a two-week tear, scoring in double-figures for five straight games and averaging 15 points. He’s currently shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc, and Kerr has repeatedly said how much better of a shooter he’s become. Pat’s biggest issue is consistency, but those who have watched his development over the last three seasons believe he has already shown he belongs.
“He’s just a gamer,” Kerr said. “He fights for everything. He’s earned everything he’s gotten. He’s the kind of guy you want on your team because he embodies what you preach, about competitiveness and unity and being ready for your opportunity, being part of the group. A fantastic teammate, and I love coaching him.”
That consistency carries over to other areas of his life. During his breakout early in December, Pat revealed he’s still driving the same 2011 Honda CR-V he’s had for years. He’s still following the same routine that got him here in the first place — no matter how much support he continues to generate from a fan base that has embraced his story.
“I’m not on social media, but enough stuff finds me,” he said. “People will reach out and let me know. I’m appreciative of all the love, but it doesn’t change my day-to-day. I’m simple, man.”
That night in Cleveland, a couple of nights after Pat announced his presence to the NBA world with a few colorful words, Warriors swingman Moses Moody couldn’t help but smile as he listened from a nearby locker. Teammates have an appreciation for the journey Pat’s been on. Spencer doesn’t care who is in front of him — he’s going full speed. And when it’s over, he’s going to let everybody know about it.
“That’s that mother f—er you’re talking to right there,” Moody said.
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