Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY Thu, October 29, 2026 at 10:08 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Losing the first two games of the NBA season might cause a scare.
But the San Antonio Spurs weren't fazed when they did so this month and rebounded with two straight wins.
Veteran forward Harrison Barnes explained the mindset that the defending Western Conference champions are carrying in the 2026-27 campaign.
"Every day, we kind of pursue a standard, and I think to start the season, we were able to look around the locker room and say that we weren't at the standard that we wanted to play at," he told USA TODAY Sports in an interview on behalf of UNICEF. "So I think for us, it's just a matter of can we go out every single night and be happy with the product that we put on the floor?"
Brushing off the fright of the early season, Barnes, 34, wants people to embrace a not-so-spooky Halloween tradition: Trick-or-Treat with UNICEF. He is a spokesman for the organization's 76-year program, which he participated in as a kid. The little orange cardboard box that kids take with them to not only ask for candy, but for cash to help underprivileged children, creates a sense of nostalgia for the veteran forward.
"UNICEF is an organization that I know very well," he said. "This Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is something that I did as a kid, and I truly believe that it's important to give back and to bring awareness to children that are in need."
Barnes has fond memories of trick-or-treating with his younger sister, Jourdan-Ashle Barnes, and comparing whose candy haul was better. He now shares the joy of Halloween with his daughter, who Barnes says enjoys dressing up as characters from "Frozen," "Moana" and "Encanto."
"It was always something that was fun for us," he said. "And you know, as a father, you want to pass on some of those same values to your children."
When he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks back in 2018, Barnes credited his mother, Shirley, for teaching him the importance of helping others. She experienced homelessness when Barnes was a baby and, when her children were older, they assisted in organizing clothes for her charity, Suited For Work Clothing Closet.
"When you look at how all of us got here, it was a healthy foundation. It took a village, right?" he said. "It took a lot of people investing in our futures. And I think that having an equitable start at the beginning of a child's life obviously gives them the most potential to achieve anything that they want to achieve."
Families can order their Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF boxes online and then donate the proceeds from Halloween via CoinStar, credit card or check. The organization was also responsible for the photo shoot where Lionel Messi gave a baby Lamine Yamal a bath . The image served as a wink of destiny as Yamal's Spain beat Messi's Argentina in this summer's World Cup final .
Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Amen Thompson #10 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on October 07, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz waits for a free throw during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 127-114. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz rushes the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 3 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 4 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) 5 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 6 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 7 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 8 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Amen Thompson #10 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 9 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on October 07, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) 10 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) 11 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 12 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 13 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) 14 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 15 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 16 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz waits for a free throw during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 17 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 127-114. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 18 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 19 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 20 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) 21 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 22 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 23 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 24 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz rushes the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) 25 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Besides being a leader for his family and in the community, Barnes signed a one-year contract extension over the summer to continue his role as a mentor for the Spurs. He won the 2015 NBA championship as a member of the Golden State Warriors and is in his third year with San Antonio, calling the deal "an unbelievable opportunity."
"The biggest thing I can lend is my voice, my experience, just in terms of trying to be a little bit of just emotional stability for the group," he said. "Obviously, we have so much talent on our roster that I think it's always important just to kind of stay level-headed. And hopefully, if we continue to do that, like I said, and stick to the things we know to be true on the floor, I think we'll put ourselves in a good position most nights."
The star of San Antonio that has the basketball world on high alert is Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old was the Defensive Player of the Year last season and set a blocks record in the playoffs . In USA TODAY's preseason ranking of the top 100 players in the league, Wembanyama is No. 3.
Barnes shared what he thinks makes the French sensation stand out.
"Victor's great. He's one of my closest friends on the team," he said. "I think the thing that makes him an unbelievable basketball player, but also just a great person in general is that he's a constant learner, and he has an extreme curiosity of how to improve himself.
"I think he finds ways on and off the court to just grow, develop, talk to people, get experiences, learn. I think that's what's allowed him to be on the trajectory that he's on right now."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harrison Barnes not spooked by Spurs' start, speaks on giving back with UNICEF
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