Hernandez: On day dominated by college football and Warriors’ leak, Spurs quiet move speaks loudest
Hernandez: On day dominated by college football and Warriors’ leak, Spurs quiet move speaks loudest
How the SSE’s small outreach on Saturday will make a big impact on those in Uvalde still healing from May
Credit: Eric Gay/AP
Around the the time Steve Sarkisian and the flagship university of Texas was exorcising past demons against their rivals north of the Red River, a full day of college football action was interrupted not by a baseball player from New York seeking to hit a home run but by the NBA champions responding to a proprietary video leak and the fallout that came with it.
Still, a tweet and press release came from another basketball team known for its greatness, but this one did not seek to answer questions or boast about its actions. Instead, if anything, it sought to understate them.
It didn’t come from the 210 area code of which they call home.
It instead emanated from an area code that has become all too familiar to those around the state and the globe: 830.
It wasn’t full of pomp and circumstance or self-importance.
But, like the coach often says about who they seek to employ, the tweet seemed to “get over itself.”
The most successful sports franchise of the past couple of decades was making the trek 87 miles west down U.S. Highway 90 to spend the day with those members of the Uvalde community still healing from the unthinkable tragedy that occurred in May.
Never mind that the members of the organization are getting ready to celebrate its 50th season by playing games in Austin, Mexico City, and the Alamodome, it’s former home.
Never mind that key members of the front office came back from the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada after scouting the presumptive two top picks of the next NBA draft.
Never mind that Manu Ginobili became the latest Spur to be inducted into the basketball hall of fame only a few weeks ago.
There they were, R.C. Buford in a maroon shirt, Pop in team issued practice gear receiving the loudest ovation of the day, and Manu in his San Antonio Food Bank hat, a reminder that this wasn’t his (and the spurs’) first rodeo giving back.
Of course, current members of the team were there.
While young, the wisdom shared by players like Tre Jones and Keldon Johnson was beyond their years.
Grizzled vet Doug McDermott got in the action too helping young Uvalde students dunk the ball.
The Spurs get back into preseason action tonight against their division rivals at their home in San Antonio.
When speaking to the crowd, Dr. Kara Allen, Chief Impact Officer for the Spurs said, “We will do the work and we will fly, but today, today is just doing joy. So, on behalf of the brilliant humans on the court and the brilliant humans you are, thank you for letting us choose to just do joy with you today.”
On a sports day filled with action, those at Harvey Kinchlow gymnasium will remember the impact and joy that was brought to them on a quiet day in October in the middle of football season a lot more than anything else that happened that day. How cool is that?
Questions? Comments? You can email them to me at ryanhernandez@onmail.com
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