SAN ANTONIO – Game 1 of the Spurs’ playoff run tips off Sunday, and the team’s fan base is louder — and more united — than ever.
What began as a single, spirited supporters’ section has grown into multiple groups inside the arena, each bringing its own style and energy.
Among them are the longtime “Baseline Bums” and the newer, high-energy “Jackals.” Despite early differences, both share the same mission: fuel the San Antonio Spurs with relentless support.
For Jacob Esquivel and his father, Pepe Esquivel, that passion is a family affair.
Jacob Esquivel is a member of the Spurs Jackals and Pepe Esquivel has been a Baseline Bum for more than 20 years.
The Spurs have long been a bond between the two. Pepe Esquivel raised his son on game nights, bringing him along as a season ticket holder and member of the Baseline Bums.
“He’s come with me to the games, and it’s pretty much how he’s grown up,” Pepe said.
Last season marked a turning point. As excitement surged around star Victor Wembanyama, a new fan group — the Jackals — formed. Jacob Esquivel saw an opportunity to carve out his own role in Spurs culture.
Now a key member of the Jackals, Jacob Esquivel helps lead the section’s energy — literally.
“I’m the drummer,” he said. “We have a big bass drum, and I like being the heartbeat of the section. It keeps everybody together and amplified.”
As the Jackals grew in popularity, some tension emerged between the newer group and the established Baseline Bums — a clash that reflected generational differences among fans.
“There was probably a little bit of animosity,” Pepe Esquivel said. “A little turf — like, ‘This is ours, we’re the original supporter group.’ And then from the Jackals, ‘We’re newer, younger, louder.’ But we wanted to bridge that.”
That bridge is already taking shape.
Members of both groups have begun collaborating — even creating Spurs-themed friendship bracelets — as a symbol of unity heading into the postseason.
“One team, one city,” Pepe Esquivel said. “We’re not just the Baseline Bums or the Jackals. We’re all Spurs fans.”
Their shared goal goes beyond sections or labels: to transform the entire arena into a true “sixth man.”
“We want the whole arena supporting our team and booing the visiting team,” Jacob Esquivel said.
Different sections. Different styles. Same passion.
And as playoff basketball returns, Spurs fans are making sure their presence is felt — together.
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