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Spencer Jones—the 24-year-old Nuggets forward still trying to make a name for himself in the NBA—followed a similar path. Knowing a future pro career wouldn’t last forever—if he was able to make the NBA at all—he learned about venture capital investing, looked over pitch decks, and analyzed health and tech start-ups looking to raise capital. He joined LinkedIn near the end of his senior year at Stanford to formalize the relationships he’d built over five years on campus. “The weight of each follower on LinkedIn carries a lot more than any other platform,” Jones says. “Venture capital is a fairly small community once you’re really in it, and so founders typically know other founders. You get insights on them, and you get insights on how companies are performing beyond what they send you. And so my due diligence has only increased with the increasing network.”
Spencer Jones On his LinkedIn activity . . . I’m not really a social media guy, but it initially started because, leaving Stanford, you want to hold onto the network. It was just very purposeful. I had a specific small audience. I could see the growth for it as well, but it was mostly just to keep the presence of mind of, ‘Hey, I’m on a two-way contract. It’s much more likely for it to not go past the couple years then to, just looking at just general numbers.’ And so I wanted a backup plan. I’ve always had one my entire life. I just wanted to take advantage of the brand for as little or as long as I had it.
Coming out of high school in Kansas, the 6-foot-7, three-star recruit Spencer Jones was hoping basketball would help him land at a reputable college, not the NBA. It worked out perfectly when he committed to Stanford in 2019. “I was not planning on making it big,” Jones tells Front Office Sports. “The goal was just to use basketball to get into a place like [Stanford]. Everything else kind of felt like a bonus.” It was only after his sophomore season in 2020–21 that the NBA became a realistic option. But he was expected to be a second-round pick at best, so he believed a Stanford degree should take priority. “Spencer has always liked basketball, but he never was one of those guys that said, ‘My dream was playing in the NBA,’” Dwayne Jones, Spencer’s father, tells FOS.
Although Jones’s LinkedIn activity nods to his on-court success, he’s really using the platform to prepare for a career after basketball. “I know once my [basketball] career is over,” Jones tells FOS. “I’m using all this to just pretty much seamlessly bounce into the next thing.” Jones had an idea what the next thing could be. While basketball was central to his Stanford experience, so was learning about venture capital investing, reading pitch decks, and understanding start-up financials. He also mingled with the school’s elite network.
Michael Scotto: Sacramento Kings signed No. 42 pick Maxime Raynaud to a three-year, $5.95 million deal, which is fully guaranteed the first two seasons and includes a third-year team option, sources told @hoopshype . He averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks last season at Stanford.
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Stanford Rivals: Stanford wing Oziyah Sellers (@OziyahSellers) has announced that he is entering the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility/entering the transfer portal. A return to Stanford is still on the table for him. #Stanford #ACCMBB #NBADraft
Rutgers star Ace Bailey has a higher upside than Cooper Flagg, according to both Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George and former Stanford star and current Fox analyst Casey Jacobsen. “I think Ace Bailey is a little bit more raw talent with still a ton of upside,” George said on the latest edition of “Podcast P with Paul George.” “I think Cooper Flagg, not to say he doesn’t have upside, he has amazing upside as well but I think Ace Bailey has a little bit more upside to him.”
The fact is, the Bucks are trying to keep themselves in check a little bit. Playing with emotion − and playing with ruffled feathers and ragged nerves are two very different head and mind spaces. Evidence: the 2024 first-round playoff dismissal at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. “We talked about it as a team; on the Indiana series, emotionally, I thought we didn’t handle that well at times,” Rivers said. “Brook, when he goes, he goes. I think he’s only had one maybe, where he’s completely lost his Stanford mind. But he’s aware of it. He’s just been in a great place. I think he loves his team, and he knows all those things help.”
Bennett Durando: The Nuggets are signing Stanford’s Spencer Jones as their third two-way contract for the upcoming season, league source tells @DenverPost . The 6-foot-7 forward shot 39.7% from 3 across a five-year college career. Denver likes his combination of size, skill and shooting.
Da Silva also played soccer, which is how he developed a lot of the footwork that he uses on the basketball court. He added that growing up in Germany, he was inspired by his brother, former Stanford forward Oscar da Silva. He said his father, a former Brazilian pro boxer, was an inspiration for him as well. “My brother plays in the EuroLeague for Barcelona. He was the reason why I started playing basketball,” da Silva explained. “My dad being the athlete that he is, he lived the lifestyle that you should be living as an athlete. He’s a big part of my habits.”
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Adam Zagoria: The Knicks today worked out this group, per sources: Tyler Thomas (Hofstra) David Jones (Memphis) Spencer Jones (Stanford) Ajay Mitchell (Santa Barbara) Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) pic.twitter.com/qxyP8J0w7x
Stefan Bondy: The Knicks held a pre-draft workout today with the following players, league sources told The Post: Yongxi Cui (G, China) David Jones (F, Memphis) Spencer Jones (F, Stanford) Ajay Mitchell (G, UCSB) Antonio Reeves (G, Kentucky) Tyler Thomas (G, Hofstra)
Minnesota Timberwolves PR: The @Timberwolves are hosting a draft workout today with the following prospects: Dylan Disu (Texas) Spencer Jones (Stanford) Bogoljub Marković (Serbia) Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) Cam Spencer (Connecticut) P.J. Hall (Clemson)
Jimmy Butler flew into the South Bay on Thursday afternoon and went to dine at Nobu Palo Alto before attending the final night of Fred Again’s three-night stint at Frost Amphitheater on Stanford’s campus. Butler posted all about his adventures on his Instagram Story, which also included a stop at the Stanford shopping center. He then went to the world-famous sushi chain’s only Bay Area restaurant, posting a photo of a bottle from Nobu before showing off the various delicacies he enjoyed.