Spurs Veteran Harrison Barnes Buys Iowa Bank, Doubles Down on Home State Roots
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes is adding a new title to his resume: Iowa banker. The 34-year-old NBA veteran, who grew up in Ames, purchased Community State Bank in Paton, Iowa, for $25 million of his own money, a move he says is about building a lasting legacy in the state that raised him.
Barnes, who announced the acquisition on Aug. 28, told Iowa banker Paul Davis that this is not a vanity project. He wants Community State Bank to become Iowa's next great bank. The purchase comes just months after Barnes helped lead the Spurs to the NBA Finals, his second career trip to the championship series.
Barnes' Long Game: From the Court to the Boardroom
Barnes has been preparing for this transition for a while. According to the San Antonio Express-News, he began studying at the Iowa School of Banking last spring. For Barnes, the move is about being fully present in whatever he does, whether on the court or in the boardroom.
You have to be where your feet are. When I'm focused on basketball, and I'm in that lane, I'm 100 percent a basketball player. When I'm here trying to figure out how to support best and serve Community State Bank, I'm 100 percent in this lane.
That mindset is nothing new for Barnes. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who shared a locker room with Barnes during his rookie season with the Sacramento Kings, recalled that Barnes told him years ago this was the plan.
H.B. told me this was the plan. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That was the first time I realized dudes in the NBA (had) real families, are real adults.
A Career Built on Community Investment
Barnes' career has taken him from Ames to North Carolina, Golden State, Dallas, Sacramento, and San Antonio. But he has consistently found ways to invest in the communities around him. Shortly after joining the Spurs, Barnes asked the organization who he could meet in San Antonio to make a difference.
That effort has taken several forms. Barnes and his wife, Brittany, donated $250,000 to the AlamoPROMISE tuition-free program and helped refurbish basketball courts with Boys & Girls Clubs in San Antonio, Austin, and Mexico City. His connection to the organization dates back to his childhood in Ames, where the Boys & Girls Clubs of Story County provided his first indoor basketball court.
I'm a living example of the happiness and success that our young people can achieve when they're supported and cared for. I wouldn't be here, not only without the Boys & Girls Club, but without all the people that helped me and poured into me.
Why Barnes Is Betting on an Iowa Community Bank
Community State Bank has been serving Paton and the surrounding area for 70 years. Barnes says the investment is about trust, a quality he believes is essential to banking.
When you're talking about banking, you're talking about trust. I think the leadership that those guys exemplify on a day-to-day basis makes it exciting to want to support and build upon the legacy that they can say that's been here now for 70 years.
The purchase gives Barnes another connection to the state that raised him. Ames celebrated Harrison Barnes Day in 2015, and his old high school now plays its games inside Harrison Barnes Gymnasium and Court. He has hosted camps there, helped finance a new gym, and returned often despite an NBA career that has taken him across the country.
Barnes still has basketball to play. He remains under contract with San Antonio and is coming off his second trip to the NBA Finals. But when the end does come, Haliburton already knows Barnes won't be searching for what comes next.
Buying into an Iowa bank feels less like a pivot and more like an extension of a relationship Barnes has long cultivated off the court.
I think the biggest thing is that every time that you step into a room, you step into a space, you are 100 percent where your feet are at. That's how I find the balance.
FAQ: Harrison Barnes' Iowa Bank Purchase
How much did Harrison Barnes pay for Community State Bank?
Barnes purchased Community State Bank in Paton, Iowa, with $25 million of his own money.
Where is Community State Bank located?
Community State Bank is located in Paton, Iowa, about 45 miles from Barnes' hometown of Ames.
Is Harrison Barnes still playing for the San Antonio Spurs?
Yes. Barnes remains under contract with the Spurs and is coming off his second trip to the NBA Finals.
What other community investments has Barnes made in Iowa?
Barnes has hosted basketball camps in Ames, helped finance a new gym at his old high school, and has a longstanding relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Story County.