SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The saying “if only these walls could talk” holds a different meaning than ever before. The same walls that watched the San Antonio Spurs win four of their five NBA championships were the same walls that sat dormant for months. The AT&T Center lost its home team and the nearly 19,000 fans who shook the rafters with cheers when their beloved team played.

 

The deadly virus known as COVID-19 came with a vengeance early this year and made a historical impact on the sports world as we know it. Stadiums were left empty. Seasons were cut short. Athletes and fans were left wondering when life would return to normal. The arena located near the heart of Alamo City was left job-less for the first time.

 

The AT&T Center made its debut in October, 2002. It was originally known as the SBC Center after SBC Communications paid a whopping $41 million for the naming rights, according to an article by Inside Arenas. The name stuck until AT&T acquired the company four years later.

 

Through the years, the stadium played host to a variety of iconic moments. Decade-long careers were launched there, and renowned athletes played their final games on that court. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich spent 19 of his 24 years as head coach in that arena. The first year the building welcomed its new team, the Spurs made history in it.

 

The 2002-2003 Spurs team was stacked, with David Robinson leading the pack and the “big three” consisting of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, forming their iconic bond. The new arena was hosting a team that was entering their “golden era.”

 

The 02-03 NBA season was a riveting one for the Spurs, and the AT&T Center was where it all started. The Spurs powered through the season and into the playoffs. San Antonio dominated each playoff series, defeating all of its opponents 4-2. The Spurs battled their way into the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets. The series started and ended in San Antonio. The Nets toppled to the Spurs in a 4-2 series defeat.

 

Spurs legend David Robinson retired after San Antonio claimed their second NBA title in 2003. His famous No. 50 jersey found a new home off the court and claimed its spot high in the rafters. It was the end of his era, but the beginning of Tim Duncan’s.

 

Over the next 13 seasons, Duncan led the Spurs to three more NBA titles. He had a start-to-finish career with the Spurs. Duncan acquired numerous accomplishments on the court which included being a 15-time All Star and a 5-time NBA Champion. He joined the Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a mentor and leader to his teammates. After retiring, Duncan continued his presence with the Spurs, even acting as head coach for a game. His No. 21 jersey hangs in the rafters along with Robinson’s and eight other former San Antonio greats.

 

Memorable moments occurred beyond the game of basketball in that arena. A fond memory of many Spurs fans was when Manu Ginobili turned into “batman” for the night.

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On Halloween in 2009 the Spurs were playing the Sacramento Kings in San Antonio. In the middle of the game, a bat flew around the arena while people were scrambling to capture it. With one swat of his hand, Ginobili knocked the bat straight to the floor. He then picked up the bat and carried it off the court. It was a series of events almost too comical to believe actually happened. The commentator for the game summed the event up perfectly.

 

“We’ve had towels, nets, and all we needed was Manu,” he said.

 

Fast forward to 2016, the late NBA star Kobe Bryant played his final game in the AT&T Center before retiring. It didn’t matter that Bryant was playing for the Lakers. Spurs fans were honored to witness “the black mamba” play his last game in San Antonio. They watched in awe as No. 24 put up his final 25 points in San Antonio. For many fans, that was the last game they ever saw Bryant play in person.

 

Players came and went, and games were won and lost. As changes inevitably occurred over time, one commonality remained the same: the AT&T Center. The court was where Tim Duncan and Lebron James led their teams in a fierce series battle for the NBA title in 2013 to the Spurs’ ultimate defeat. It was where No. 5 Dejounte Murray tore his ACL in only his second season in the NBA. It was where the Spurs took their revenge on the Heat and won the 2014 NBA title.

 

When COVID-19 made its presence known in the world it changed the AT&T Center. The once vibrant arena was forcibly hushed. Narrow aisles that were home to spilled popcorn and plastic cups were now clean. The jumbotron hanging high above the court for fans to watch exhilarating game replays was silent. What did all this mean? Were the memorable moments that so many fans held tightly to in that arena the last ones?

 

The situation begged the question: What is the AT&T Center without people? An arena is still an arena, regardless of the circumstances. As long as there is a roof, walls and a floor, there is a building. The significance isn’t in the structure of the AT&T Center, it never was. The significance is in the people who fill the arena. The athletes who play their hearts out on the court and the fans who cheer their hearts out in the stands – that is what makes the AT&T Center great.

 

Basketball will return. The now quiet AT&T Center will once again be filled with thunderous sounds of jubilation. No one knows what the future will look like. Arenas might not ever be what they once were. At the end of the day, it isn’t the building that makes greatness, it’s the people inside the building who make something great.