For LaMarcus Aldridge, moving to a new region after spending nine years in Portland, Oregon will need some getting used to. He finds himself in a totally new environment and in a new team that moved heaven and earth to secure the 30-year-old forward.
Aldridge, one of the best available players in NBA Free Agency this year, opted to join the San Antonio Spurs. Such was deemed the best option for the nine-year NBA veteran seeking a place where he could possibly get the best of both money and perhaps an NBA ring.
Capping all of that is, of course, the fact that the Spurs have one of the best mentors the NBA has today, Gregg Popovich. And now, Aldridge seems to be fulfilling his dream; and apparently, he doesn't know where to start.
The first thing he may have to do is perhaps settle in. Being in an entirely new environment that carries a rich winning culture, Aldridge is trying to get accustomed to his new home at least for the next three years.
Aldridge signed a four-year deal with the Spurs worth about $80 million. Depending on how he fits in and how the Spurs' campaign goes in the coming seasons, could it be safe to say that the four-time NBA All-Star is set for life as a Spur?
Aldridge is expected to blossom even more under the tutelage of Popovich and is someone groomed to eventually take over Tim Duncan once the ageless warrior decides to hang it all up. Together with upstarts like Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, Aldridge is among the Spurs' future stars who are likely to stay with the team unless something unfortunate (i.e. disagreements, strained relationships) sets in.
Before thinking ahead, all that Aldridge has to do right now is settle in. It was an emotionally draining offseason for Aldridge. Now that everything has been settled, he needs to fulfill his end of the bargain — blend in with the Spurs' basketball philosophy heading into the 2015–16 NBA Season.
