San Antonio Spurs fans gathered in Austin on Friday as the NBA side brought its I-35 Series against the Houston Rockets to the Moody Center.
The build-up centred on a pre-match gathering at Scholz Garten, where supporters listened to live music, picked up team merchandise and entered giveaways before heading towards the arena.
The Spurs’ official Road to I-35 programme ran across Austin from October 19 to 24, with events including a watch party, a three-on-three basketball session and a concert. The franchise’s pre-game tailgate on Friday was scheduled to run from 5.30pm until the 8.30pm tip-off.
Spurs fans rally behind team in Austin
The Austin fixture forms part of San Antonio’s effort to strengthen its ties with communities along the Interstate 35 corridor. The team is staging selected home games away from the Frost Bank Center, including further I-35 Series fixtures against the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets at the Moody Center in February.
Supporters travelled from across Texas for the occasion. Ricardo Gerarde, who came from North Texas, said attending the events had become a family tradition.
“Every year we come by, and we always leave with a handful of little neat stuff to collect throughout the years,” he said. “And when we’re married, we’ll still be coming to the Spurs games. Hopefully, I can keep the tradition going with the little ones.”
Many fans arrived in Spurs colours hoping to see a response after San Antonio opened its regular-season campaign with a defeat by Oklahoma City.
Chelly Bell said the early result had not diminished her support for the team, describing the smaller gatherings in Austin as a particularly close-knit experience.
“I will never give up on my team, and they haven’t given up on me either,” Bell said. “There’s something about the smaller, homegrown, awesome watch parties that just really makes you feel like a little Spurs family.”
One supporter, Trey Cuddihy, dressed as one of the Spurs Nuns, the costumed fans who have become familiar figures at San Antonio games.
“We lost our season opener, so we thought, what is the best thing that we can contribute to our team?” Cuddihy said. “We show up as the nun, we bring the good vibes, and we make sure that we win.”
The I-35 Series brings supporters from across Texas
The event attracted fans from the Austin area as well as visitors who had driven from Dallas and other parts of the state. Some supporters said the travel and cost of collecting team memorabilia were worthwhile for the chance to experience the games in person.
With the Spurs expecting strong crowds for their Austin dates, the gathering offered a visible show of support for the franchise’s attempt to build a wider Central Texas following.
