Spurs' outrageous Austin games tradition a slap in the face of fans

As if fans do not have enough to worry about already, the San Antonio Spurs are gearing up for a two-game stint in Austin, Texas. While Austin residents may be excited for the chance to watch a professional basketball team in their home city, citizens in the 2-1-0 are left out to dry by a unique practice only held by the Spurs.

The contest on Friday, March 15th, will be against the Denver Nuggets, while the Brooklyn Nets will play the second Austin-designated game on Sunday, March 17th. There are surely fans in San Antonio who would love to see Victor Wembanyama match up against reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, but unfortunately, unless you have time to drive to and from Austin, you're out of luck. What's worse is that the leader of the team isn't even on board with the decision.

The outreach program to Austin is unnecessary for the Spurs

San Antonio's basketball organization is worth approximately $3.25 billion, according to Forbes. While that number is not at the top of the league, it is a far cry from struggling to make a profit. That dollar amount is only set to increase drastically once the team starts winning again with Victor Wembanyama as their main attraction.

The NBA season is long, 82 games. You are supposed to get 41 of those at home, not just for the crowd advantage but because the constant travel can be rough on players, and families often cannot travel with them. Adding away games to the schedule at the expense of your fans for a money grab is not a good look and that is exactly what this is. Under the guise of, "expanding the brand," the organization is simply looking for ways to make more money.

The benefit of playing Western Conference teams is that it gives the fans two chances to see a player from an opposing team. That will not be the case with Jokic and Denver. There may be a kid who is a Spurs fan but his father is from Brooklyn and they have one chance to see their teams in person. These people are being overlooked for a chance at a few extra dollars when taking care of your own should be first and foremost.

The opening night of the NBA season was sold out in San Antonio. Everyone was there to see Victor Wembanyama. He is the path to more profit. The Spurs need to continue to add talent to the roster and develop back into the powerhouse they once were. Just do that, and the money will flow like the Rio Grande.