SAN ANTONIO – For the first time since 2019, the NBA playoffs and Fiesta are unfolding at the same time in San Antonio, blending two of the city’s most defining traditions into a single surge of pride.
The overlap has energized fans across the Alamo City, where chants of “Go Spurs Go” now mix with the sounds of “Viva Fiesta!” The convergence highlights a culture rooted equally in community festivities and loyalty to the hometown team.
For Peggy Huizar Guerrero, the moment carries decades of personal history. She traces her connection to the San Antonio Spurs back to 1986, when she and her brother became “Baseline Bums” at HemisFair Arena.
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“It was so much fun,” Guerrero said. “First of all, our tickets were only five dollars at the HemisFair Arena, which was pretty awesome.”
Though she no longer sits courtside, Guerrero remains deeply connected to the team. She works at Monarch Trophy, a local business that produces many of the medals worn during Fiesta, symbolizing another piece of the city’s cultural fabric.
“Spurs and Fiesta always came hand in hand,” Guerrero said.
The team’s return to the postseason marks a shift from recent years.
The last time San Antonio made the playoffs, DeMar DeRozan led the roster, and current star Victor Wembanyama was still a teenager in France. Since then, the city has experienced a global pandemic, a historic winter storm and political changes at both the local and national levels.
Amid those challenges, the dual celebration offers a sense of unity, according to San Antonio residents.
With modern technology, fans no longer have to choose between attending Fiesta events and watching the game. Smartphones make it possible to do both, creating spontaneous watch parties in the middle of parades and festivals.
“You’re going to have a huddle of people around them,” Guerrero said. “And you’re going to hear the cheering when we win.”
In San Antonio, where culture and basketball pride run deep, the convergence of playoffs and Fiesta is more than a coincidence — it’s a reminder of what brings the community together.
Fiesta 2026 kicks off on Thursday, April 16, and Spurs Game 1 tips off on Sunday, April 19.
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