SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds of fans lined up at the Freeman Coliseum on Sunday morning, covered in paint, costumes and San Antonio Spurs gear to try out for the new supporter section at home games.
“The energy, creativity — it was all there. Lots of people surprised me,” said Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama came up with the idea for the section, loosely modeled after fans in many European games. There will be a dedicated supporter section at every game in the Frost Bank Center, according to the team.
“I want to be cliché and say I’ve been a Spurs fan all my life, because it’s true. I came out of the womb yelling, ‘Go Spurs Go!’” said George Garcia, a fan trying out to be a supporter.
Matthew Garcia, another avid Spurs fan, created his own Spider-Man costume and calls himself Spidey Spur. He showed up early to tryouts because he believes that with great support comes great responsibility.
“All of the Spurs have always been superheroes to me, so if I could in any way pay back the homage, even if it means dressing up, gimmicking a little bit, I’m happy to do it,” said Garcia.
Fans were required to register ahead of time and be willing to pay the $999 ticket price that being in the supporter section would require if selected. They were then escorted to cheer, yell, and give their energy towards Wembanyama, who watched and thanked fans for coming.
“So the next steps are — we’re watching the tape with an emphasis on the guys, the people we already know about, and choosing the captains, and choosing 70-150 people,” Wembanyama said.
The new supporter section will be named and spearheaded by the fans, Wembanyama said. According to the Spurs, this will not replace the legacy Baseline Bums.