AUSTIN, Texas — Like several who came before him, Jon Elmore spent his first days at the San Antonio Spurs' practice facility starstruck by the legends of the franchise's past.

Signed to a training camp contract after a brief Summer League stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Elmore had the same access as Victor Wembanyama to the team's training rooms, practice courts, weight rooms, coffee bars and dining rooms. You bet he used them.

"I had breakfast with Manu Ginóbili one morning," Elmore said, allowing himself to relive the feeling. "Bruce Bowen was around. The Admiral (David Robinson) was around. Coach (Gregg) Popovich was around. Just seeing guys I grew up watching ... was mind-boggling."

Over a few weeks, Elmore got to wear his own jersey, suit up for four preseason games with the Spurs and receive legitimate feedback from their coaching staff as he continued his quest to make an NBA roster. In that sense, he's no different from hundreds of other players.

Where Elmore differs is his age. At 30 years old, he's far from a traditional rookie hopeful. But he doesn't subscribe to the age-old belief that an old dog can't learn new tricks.

When he went bald, he even added one to his arsenal: a 3-point head wipe.

"It was cool to actually bring it to the NBA stage," Elmore said, adding that he's done the move after makes for several years in the G League. "(The) regular season is next on the list."

Thanks, in part, to his unique celebration, Elmore went viral while playing for the Lakers' summer unit. The guard averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 19.2 minutes per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

Still, more of his internet fame came from his appearance. One post called him a sixth grade science teacher, which Elmore found funnier than the rest. The attention was "sweet," he says, but there came a point in the middle of his training that he decided to mute everything.

"Social media blew up," Elmore said, almost laughing again. "It was funny, some of the little jabs, but then also at the same time, my goal has always been to play in the NBA."

He continued: "I'm fighting for that every day ... I fully believe I'm capable of making it."

Elmore hasn't stopped dreaming since he left Marshall in 2019. In four seasons with the Thundering Herd, Elmore earned All-Conference USA first team honors twice, became its all-time leading scorer and set program records for points and assists in a single season. No other player in school history had finished in the top-five in both categories at once.

Playing under Dan D'Antoni, the older brother of Hall-of-Fame NBA coach Mike D'Antoni, Elmore continued developing his 3-point shot in hopes of becoming a serviceable shooter in the NBA. After he went undrafted in 2019, he began down a different path.

Overseas stints in Italy, Greece and Hungary across three years eventually brought Elmore back to the United States in 2022, where he's spent the last four seasons with both the Miami Heat's Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Sacramento Kings' Stockton Kings.

Even without making an NBA roster, Elmore doesn't question his dedication to basketball. He knows he could be working a 9-to-5 desk job, but he also knows sports are "more fun."

"I genuinely enjoy the process," the guard said. "And until I physically can't (do it) or until something else comes up ... I'm going to be here every day with the best attitude."

Elmore now joins the Austin Spurs as their oldest player by four years. Playing under first-time head coach Chris Kent, who landed the job after Jacob Chance departed the G League for a head coaching gig with his home squad in Australia, will be different than D'Antoni.

Both parties welcome the challenge. Kent, especially, likes what he sees so far.

"I'm happy to have him on our side," Kent said of Elmore. "He's a vocal leader. A true point guard. He's been great to have around. He's going to be very important for us."

For Elmore, that importance extends beyond his own production. The G League presents a unique challenge for players with NBA aspirations, especially those trying to balance their individual ambitions with the expectations of their teammates.

"It's the only league in the world where guys want to leave," Elmore explained. "You want to get that call. You want to go to the NBA, but it's unique in the aspect of you have to rally together. If, like, I want to go and get 30 every night, that might not be ... best (for) the team."

Kent understands that reality. As Austin prepares to open its season Friday, Kent knows his roster could look significantly different by the time the Spurs play their final game.

"I love the G League and everything that comes with it," Kent said. "Your roster changes all the time. Guys are with you and then they're not. It just goes back to pouring into every guy every single day and making sure they're ready for their opportunity when it comes."

Elmore hopes his opportunity comes sooner rather than later. In the meantime, he knows that chasing his own dream can't come at the expense of his teammates.

He believes Kent can help him achieve that balance as he enters Year 5 in the minors. The pair hopped on a phone call as soon as Kent accepted the job in September.

"He's a huge people person," Elmore said. "That's a dude that you sit down with, have a conversation and you leave the conversation feeling better than when you went into it. He's a dude you can talk to about anything, but he's also a high-level basketball guy."

Kent's past experience with the Windy City Bulls and Rip City Remix will help him relate to the players who are bound to cycle through his program. Elmore hopes his time in Austin is short. Not because he isn't bought in, but because there's somewhere else he'd rather be.

"I set the dream and the goal as a little kid," Elmore said. "I want to play in the NBA."

For what it's worth, Elmore has already caught the attention of Mitch Johnson, who holds more power over his career path than the fans on social media. Johnson, who saw the Spurs' bench do the head wipe in Utah during the preseason, hopes Elmore sticks around Texas.

"He's great," the coach said. "Great personality. Good way about him. Heckuva player. Really looking forward to ... having him involved in the Austin program and keep him growing."

Johnson hasn't called the point guard with a roster spot, yet. He may never. But Elmore, seven years into a post-graduation aspiration he hopes comes true, won't be deterred.

If he can fend off corporate emails, Friday meetings and happy hours for at least another season, he's right where he needs to be. San Antonio or Austin, he's fine with either.

"I'm banking on making it one day," Elmore said. "I'm a guy that wakes up every day and genuinely enjoys going to the gym, going to work. It was an honor and a privilege (this summer) to walk in the Spurs' gym every day and see those banners hanging from the wall."