Signing with the San Antonio Spurs wasn’t just a change of scenery for LaMarcus Aldridge, it was a change of lifestyle and mentality. The transition naturally included having to adjust to a new offensive system, but it’s deeper than that when it comes to being a Spur — as Aldridge told ESPN’s Michael Wright back in November, he’s “not the same person” he was in Portland.
After the 30-point blowout the Spurs suffered at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, Aldridge went ahead and deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts. He gave his explanation after the Spurs bounced back and demolished the Houston Rockets on Wednesday:
“I just wanted to lock in on my season right now, it had nothing to do with that game. It’s not anything about the (Warriors) game. It’s a new adventure for me. I’ve never been in this system, with this team. I’ve never been on a top 2 team in the West.”
I’m sure that Aldridge’s social media feed was bombarded after the loss to Golden State, especially considering his 2-for-9 shooting performance. But in this era, that’s something all major athletes have to deal with in their own way.
Over the last four postseasons, LeBron James has made it a routine to neglect his social media when the playoffs begin in April. Aldridge is taking early measures, and he’s not just neglecting, he got rid of it altogether.
Aldridge’s reasoning makes him sound like a Spur more than ever. The Spurs culture is that of negating distractions and nonsense, and something like this further communicates Aldridge’s genuine commitment to that culture.