Peter Holt shuts down speculation of Spurs leaving San Antonio
By Josh Paredes
A week ago, the San Antonio Spurs were in the news cycle for all the wrong reasons. At least, that's how it appeared when looking at fan reactions across social media.
In an effort to expand their fanbase and marketability during down years, the Spurs approached the city with a request to play a few home games outside of the AT&T Center next season. Instantly, many reactions from those around the city was that it was only a matter of time before the Spurs left for Austin or another location outside of the Alamo City.
Even Bexar County Judge, Nelson Wolff, expressed his concern after the motion narrowly passed 3-2. "That's not a good sign," he said. "It shows you that there's a divided opinion in this community as to the intention of the Spurs and that there's a lot of concern about just what the heck you're doing."
On Tuesday morning, Chairman of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, Peter J. Holt, shared an impassioned post on social media to ease everyone's minds.
"Your stories and your ties to our Spurs have helped shape who I am and who we are as a city. We will keep making memories, together, inside of Bexar County," said Holt. "There are no Spurs without the city and the people of San Antonio. Your team, our team, together we are the silver and black."
While the ownership will ultimately have to prove all of this with their actions, it's hard to believe the Spurs have some kind of secret plan to hit the road anytime in the near future. The organization is likely feeling the hit of missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, which has led to a severe decrease in attendance.
As they've always done in the past, the organization is simply being innovative to make up for that lost revenue. Games in Mexico, Austin, and even a rumored 50th Anniversary game at the Alamodome will generate more buzz than the team's gotten in the past few years, which can only be a good thing.
As Holt says, the Spurs are in San Antonio to stay, por vida.