The San Antonio Spurs' sixth man is a real-life cowboy who wears actual spurs

Keldon Johnson, the Spurs' longest-tenured player, owns a ranch in Texas' Hill Country, where he tends to goats, cows, and horses. He's been called the "heart and soul of the team."

Every year around this time, the San Antonio Spurs hit the road for a few weeks while their arena hosts a rodeo. It is a tradition unique to them. For most players, that means time away from their families, not sleeping in their own beds.

For forward Keldon Johnson, it means having his friends watch his ranch. Johnson owns a 22-acre ranch outside San Antonio, in Texas’ Hill Country, where he raises all sorts of animals: goats, chickens, cows, a few horses and a miniature donkey.

In late February, when the team was out east, Johnson received a photo: One of his cows had given birth.

“They’re my pets — I just love ’em,” Johnson told NBC News. “It was a pretty cute moment.”

The Spurs have been the surprise of the NBA season. After six straight losing years, they have surged to second place in the Western Conference and are legit title contenders, led by Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom, and a young core around him.