The San Antonio Spurs didn’t waste their long-awaited return to the NBA postseason. After a seven-year playoff drought, the Silver and Black hit the court with confidence Sunday night and beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111–98 in Game 1 of the series.
Besides some of the incredible plays made by Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs roster, there were plenty of headline-worthy moments that took place inside the Frost Bank Center.
Here’s a look at five of them – from an elegant fashion statement to a guaranteed prediction for a major NBA award being announced later today.
When Spurs players entered the Frost Bank Center last night for Game 1, they came in dressed to impress. Spurs center Kelly Olynyk, whose 35th birthday was yesterday, gifted each of his teammates a custom black suit by AMIN. “He took the initiative to make us all wear the same thing,” Wemby said during the post-game press conference. Classy threads, guys!
The inside of the Frost Bank Center looked like a big cascarón with a colorful neon T-shirt draped over each seat before the game. Fans wore the pink, blue and orange tees with pride. Those fans who initially chose not to put them on, got a nudge when they were shown on the Jumbotron with the message, “Put on your shirt.” We will admit, however, that at least one fan had a good reason not to put his on. “It’s great to see this many people wear their shirts,” Wemby said during the post-game press conference. “You should absolutely wear your shirt if you’re coming to the game.” You should also cheer with the Jackals.
After an incredible Wemby spin and drive to the basket for a dunk, the camera cut to Spurs legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson sitting next to each other and soaking in the Alien’s greatness. The duo was also shown on the Jumbotron joking around with one another. “I heard the crowd when [Duncan and Robinson] went on the camera,” Wemby said during the post-game press conference. “It’s the loudest the fans got outside of the game moments.” Duncan and Robinson weren’t the only former Spurs in attendance. Later in the game, fans got to see Manu Ginobili and George “The Iceman” Gervin. Coach Pop was there, too!
Add Sunday night’s game to the list of games where Wemby has broken records. This time, it was for the total points scored in a Spurs playoff debut. With 35 points, Wemby beat the 32 points Duncan scored against the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their 1998 first-round series – six years before Wemby was born. Wemby also became the only player in NBA history with at least 35 points and five three-pointers in a playoff debut.
Later today, the winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year is set to be announced. The official finalists are Chet Holmgren from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ausar Thompson from the Detroit Pistons, and Wemby. During Sunday night’s game, NBA legend and commentator Reggie Miller made sure viewers knew that he thought the winner was inevitable. “There’s three things I know: Death, taxes, and Wemby will be the Defensive Player of the Year.” We guess the only thing left to find out is if he will become the first-ever unanimous winner in NBA history.