Pat Spencer is all too familiar with defying the odds. Long before being recognized as one of the greatest college lacrosse players of all time, Spencer was cut from his varsity lacrosse team as a high school sophomore.
This was just one of the many obstacles Spencer has hurdled in his diverse sports career, which has most recently led him to a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he made his NBA debut on Feb. 25, 2024.
In the college lacrosse community, Spencer cemented himself as a legend of the game during his days at Loyola Maryland (2016-19). The four-year starter had an illustrious career with the Greyhounds, winning the Tewaaraton Award (the college lacrosse equivalent to the Heisman Trophy) during his senior season in 2019. The attackman set and still holds the record for most career assists (231) in NCAA DI men’s lacrosse history.
“5 goals, 5 assists, amazing.”
Nothing but good things so far for Pat Spencer.#NCAALAX Q3 | LOYOLA 13 | PENN STATE 16 pic.twitter.com/SA9Jz5Zun2
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 19, 2019
He was then selected first overall in the inaugural 2019 Premier Lacrosse League Draft, but after dominating on turf for four years, Spencer wanted to get his turn on the hardwood.
He held one year of college athletics eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer and pounced on this opportunity, transferring to the Windy City to play basketball at Northwestern.
Although Spencer had not played basketball competitively since high school, he had a strong background on the hardwood, leading his high school team to its first state title in 25 years in 2015.
In his workout with Northwestern, Spencer impressed Wildcats coach Chris Collins with his athleticism and quickly proved he could hold his own on the court, tearing through the norm of specializing in one sport.
The 6-3 guard averaged 10.4 points per game in Big Ten basketball, which is no simple feat — especially after not competing since high school. He started 29 of the 31 games he played in, also averaging four rebounds and four assists per game.
The end of his college career was marked by the beginning of COVID-19. Many in Spencer’s position would have probably called it quits, or maybe made a return to the sport he so clearly had a knack for, but Spencer was never one to follow the traditional path.
Spencer decided to continue his basketball career with the Hamburg Towers in Germany following the 2020 NBA Draft. After playing just five games in Germany, on Oct. 25, 2021, he was signed to the Capital City Go-Gos, the G-League affiliate of the Washington Wizards.
This was the first tangible stepping stone to Spencer’s end goal of becoming an NBA player. Averaging just 13 minutes per game, he tallied roughly six points per game/two rebounds per game/two assists per game while shooting 39 percent from three.
Following his stint with the Go-Gos, Spencer was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the G-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors in July 2022. (An Exhibit 10 is a one-year deal where the athlete attends training camp with the team.)
Spencer played well during what is essentially a glorified try-out, but in a league that can only hold 15 players on its roster in the regular season, he was told he would not make the Warriors’ NBA roster, nor receive a two-way contract.
He continued the grind with the Santa Cruz Warriors until he was introduced to unfamiliar territory — two major injuries requiring surgery. In all of Spencer’s high school and college days, he never had an injury that he felt he could not play through, but if he wanted to seriously continue his dream, it was an unfortunate necessity.
After recovering from hip and wrist surgery, Spencer rejoined the Santa Cruz Warriors in November 2023. Out of the gate, Spencer looked like he hadn’t missed a step in his return, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds on 37.7 percent shooting from deep — just slightly above the NBA average this season of 36.7 percent.
Spencer had finally had the breakout he had dreamed of back when he was working out for Collins at Northwestern — and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was taking notice.
GET OUT HIS WAY! 🔥
Pat Spencer flushes it through plus the foul. @GLeagueWarriors pic.twitter.com/iOyPBEOc1d
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 10, 2024
On Feb. 22, 2024, Spencer signed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, essentially a deal that gives Spencer the opportunity to receive NBA playing time while still competing for the Santa Cruz Warriors. These contracts are typically reserved for young stars, so Spencer, now 27 years old, certainly impressed to garner this deal.
Five years after turning down the Premier Lacrosse League, Spencer made his NBA debut on Feb. 25 against the Denver Nuggets.
Spencer appeared in six games in the 2023-2024 season, but thus far, as of Feb. 8 in the 2024-2025 NBA season, he has appeared in 21 contests, averaging almost eight minutes a game. On Jan. 10 in a matchup with the Indiana Pacers, Spencer dropped a career-high 17 points, going 7-of-12 from the field.
On Feb. 5, the shooting guard was trending once again after making SportsCenter Top 10 for a dunk against the Utah Jazz.
Pat Spencer’s SLAM DUNK against the Utah Jazz last night came in at No. 8 on SportsCenter Top 10 🥍📈@warriors | @LoyolaMLAX pic.twitter.com/77C6CPcI3A
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) February 6, 2025
The Loyola legend seems to have found his place in the NBA, and it will be interesting to watch how far he can take his talents on the hardwood long after dominating college lacrosse.
