He began spur and bit making in 1968 and is notably one of the few remaining spur makers trained by Adolph Bayers, a pioneer who laid the foundations for many contemporary artisans like Klapper.

He is projected to make his season debut on the Spurs’ current homestand, perhaps as soon as Saturday against the Jazz. Vassell was the Spurs’ second-leading scorer last season at 19.5 points ...