On the evening of May 31, the Gonzaga men's basketball Twitter account posted a simple message featuring just three words, "22 is BACK," and a 24-second highlight video set to a song by A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
The song? "King of My City." The player in the clip? Anton Watson.
The message? Spokane's favorite son would be returning for his fifth and final year as a Gonzaga University Bulldog.
HOMETOWN HERO
"I think he has a huge impact on Spokane basketball, and I know that he is looked up to by so many young kids, and I know that he takes that responsibility very seriously," says Matty McIntyre, Watson's former coach at Gonzaga Prep.
Over the summer, Watson showed up at a youth basketball camp McIntyre was running. He was asked to come just for the final 15 minutes but ended up staying well over an hour as he chatted and signed autographs — not only for the star-struck grade schoolers, but for many of the grown-ups in the gym as well.
"To see the look in [the kids'] eyes and how excited they were to see Anton," McIntyre said. "I mean, they're idolizing this guy and hanging on every single word."
Watson isn't the first local product to step into the spotlight for Gonzaga. Adam Morrison played at Mead. Sean Mallon suited up for Ferris. John Stockton and his son David both blazed the G-Prep-to-Gonzaga trail before Watson.
One thing that sets Watson apart from the other local talent to grace the hardwood in the Kennel, though, is the era when he's taken the spotlight.
In recent seasons, Gonzaga has elevated to a level where it can now recruit the top players from around the country. Five-star prospects and McDonald's All-Americans like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs have made the leap straight from high school to Gonzaga. The Zags are now an international brand that can land players from all around the globe.
And part of that success is thanks to Watson, a local kid who bought into the opportunity to stay home.
"I think it's remarkable the fact that he chose to stay here and be who he is, and to embrace himself and do it in his community, his region," says Gonzaga Assistant Coach Jorge Sanz. "Seeing his story, seeing the legacy he's leaving at Gonzaga, and the legacy he'll create after Gonzaga... it's just reason to believe that it can be done."
Watson has become a fan favorite over his first four years with the Zags not just because he's a local kid. He's a really talented basketball player, after all. Watson was recently cited as one of 20 players on the preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Award, given annually to the nation's best small forward (a trophy that Zags Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert both won).
THE PRELUDE
At this point, Watson should be no stranger to those kinds of honors and lists.
Watson was twice named Greater Spokane League MVP while at G-Prep, twice named MVP of the state tournament, and ranked as the number two high school prospect in the state of Washington (41st overall in the country) in the recruiting class of 2019, per the recruiting experts at 247Sports.
Individual accolades don't tell the whole story, though. Watson's also been a winner every step of the way. Gonzaga Prep posted a record of 103 wins against just seven losses during Watson's four years with the Bullpups. As a junior and as a senior, Watson helped G-Prep win back-to-back state titles
Coach McIntyre saw that potential even before Watson had logged a single minute of high school basketball.
Watson's mother called McIntyre the day before a summer basketball camp to say that, while they lived in Coeur d'Alene at the time, her son played basketball and was considering Gonzaga Prep for high school.
"I get those kinds of calls all the time," McIntyre says. "And then I remember the next day seeing him walk through the gym, go through warmups, and I was like, 'Oh man, this kid's a little bit different.' I remember right off the get go just seeing how [he was] talented and athletic and fluid. He was special, right from the first day I met him."
That impression was made the summer before Watson's freshman year of high school. Just two years later, before his junior year, he had done enough to impress another coach — Mark Few. The Zags offered Watson a scholarship, and in June 2017, he committed to play at Gonzaga.
THE LAST ACT
On a team with one other returning starter (Nolan Hickman), and a roster loaded with transfers and freshmen, Watson is one of the few pillars of continuity and experience in the Gonzaga program this 2023-24 season.
Watson spent his first four seasons as the yin to Drew Timme's yang. He's also played alongside Filip Petrusev, Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard and Julian Strawther, all of whom are now in the NBA.
He's never had to be the guy for Gonzaga.
Last season, he was third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game. He was sixth in scoring in each of the two seasons prior, and in an injury-shortened freshman season, he ranked eighth.
While always primarily known for his defensive acumen and knack for the tiny hustle plays — the tipped balls, the intuitive rotations — this year Watson will certainly need to increase his offensive output to help fill the shoes of his former running mates. He's always been an efficient complementary piece — Watson had the highest offensive rating among Gonzaga's starters last season — but now he'll need to step into a full-blown leadership role.
Watson lacks the bombastic personality of Timme or the incredible production of Morrison, but his understated commitment to making a positive impact is plain to see.
"It is visible, his impact on our team because of his leadership," says Sanz. "Andrew [Nembhard] was very similar in that he was not a loud guy, but he would find moments of when to get from teammates what the game required at the time. [Watson's] able to do that and he's doing a great job with not only the younger guys, but everybody in the team."
While his scoring is likely to rise as his leadership role increases, the Zags almost certainly won't rely on him to shoulder the bulk of the scoring load. He's got plenty of other responsibilities to carry on the offensive end of the floor.
Some, like his passing and ball control, show up in the stat sheet. Watson was fourth on the team last season with 2.4 assists per game. Over a six-game stretch to end the regular season and through the West Coast Conference Tournament, Watson accumulated 24 assists to zero turnovers.
His ability to move the ball and not be a black hole in the post will be critical as this new-look Gonzaga roster develops chemistry, especially early in the season.
Other responsibilities don't show up in the box score, but they certainly don't go unnoticed by astute fans, teammates and coaches.
"It's also the way he creates for others with a well-timed seal or screen or just nudges someone enough to where somebody else is getting a clear path to the basket," Sanz says. "He's the ultimate connector. Oftentimes he does not get the credit in terms of stat sheet because we don't keep track of those in the game. But we certainly as a staff, we do see that and we demand it from him because we know he's so good at it."
Gonzaga's season doesn't hinge on Watson's performance, but his performance can be the glue that holds the team together throughout yet another arduous schedule, and maybe even the spark that pushes them to a magical run in March.
Watson has already spent eight years playing at a highly successful level for Gonzaga, both Prep and University. He's got one more year to add to his resume, but he's already cemented his status as a legend of Spokane basketball. ♦
