AUSTIN, Texas – The San Antonio Spurs intend on playing games in Austin annually, according to Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
Popovich told reporters on Wednesday that it’s an effort to increase interest in the team.
“I think the Spurs organization just wants to expand the territory,” Popovich said. “We live here in this region...all the way from Mexico, all the way up to here. And...we’d like to...spread that experience that we’ve had with the Spurs into another area because we haven’t been up here. But to do that, we’ve got to make the effort to be seen and to get up here and play some games. And I think, you know, we’ll do that I think, every year now. I don’t think. I know. And so this is a start of that.”
The Spurs have already played two other games outside of the AT&T Center this season: One in the Alamodome and one in Mexico City. The team played these four games away from its typical home arena as part of the Spurs’ 50th anniversary celebration.
“It was like an emotional experience almost every single game because we’d bring somebody back,” Popovich said. “One of the last games down in San Antonio, Artis Gilmore is in the gym. When’s the last time you saw Artis Gilmore? Those sorts of things are pretty special. And so, seeing all those guys was great and now this is a brand new experience that none of us have had. I’ve never flown into Austin before, so I’m on the plane, I’m looking around. It’s like you’re in a different country. You’re in a different place. Just kind of fun to have something different in your life.”
The Spurs final two “home” games will be played in the Moody Center in Austin on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers and Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.