San Antonio Spurs break records in Austin
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The Longhorn Hellraisers at the Spurs game in Austin. Photo: Courtesy of Spurs Sports and Entertainment
Whether local Spurs fans like it or not, the team has been a hit in Austin.
Driving the news: The Spurs' "home" games in Austin against the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves had a sellout crowd of 16,023 on Thursday and 16,148 on Saturday, breaking an overall Moody Center record, according to Spurs Sports and Entertainment spokesperson Liberty Swift.
- The typical seating capacity is 10,000 for Longhorns basketball games, but Swift says the upper arena was opened for the Spurs, with standing room options available.
Context: Three special home games played in Austin and Mexico City announced last August were met with hesitancy from local fans who feared a future relocation of the Spurs up Interstate 35. Despite reassurance from the organization's leadership that the Spurs are staying put in San Antonio, the uneasiness among fans remains.
- On Wednesday, coach Gregg Popovich revealed road trip "home" games will become an annual event.
State of play: Local fans, Austin transplants and celebrities including WNBA legend Sue Bird showed up to support the Spurs in Austin.
- University of Texas at Austin students Raymond Gorvie, Jacob Turner, Will Bandy, John Reynoldson and Roger Gonzalez, who are part of the Longhorn Hellraisers spirit group, were standout fans on Thursday with "SPURS" painted on their bodies.
- Gorvie said it's what they do for all UT sporting events and considering all of the friends are Spurs fans, the opportunity seemed like a no-brainer.
What they're saying: Gorvie, who is from Fort Worth, tells Axios he likes seeing the team on campus, but he's not entertaining relocation suspicions.
- "I'll always want the Spurs in San Antonio," he says.