The San Antonio Spurs' deep NBA Finals run has intensified local debates over a proposed downtown entertainment district as community leaders on the city's Eastside prepare for the basketball team's scheduled departure from the Frost Bank Center.
During a recent episode of the "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast, ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon made a critical remark regarding the location of the current arena.
"I wish (Tim) Duncan would have picked a better neighborhood," MacMahon said.
According to Yahoo News, local fans on Threads criticized the comment as disrespectful. MySA reported that MacMahon did not immediately respond to requests for comment before publication.
The remark sparked pushback from community figures on San Antonio's Eastside, a cultural hub that leaders acknowledge has faced long-standing economic hurdles due to historic patterns of neglect.
"Because there was a perception that 'we don't go to the Eastside,' it had an impact," said James Nortey, CEO of San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE).
Nortey explained that the local district is currently grappling with the long-term socioeconomic consequences of those past biases.
"As a result, we're now dealing with some of the implications from what happened decades ago," he said.
To combat these historical challenges, the non-profit economic development organization is focusing heavily on localized investments and community-driven partnerships.
"We here at SAGE, as well as the community, can reverse these by putting our dollars and our time into this space," Nortey said.
Other local officials maintain that the Eastside is experiencing unprecedented commercial vitality, pointing to recent business emergence in areas like St. Paul Square.
"We are at the strongest point in the history of the Eastside and growing stronger," said Tommy Calvert, Bexar County Precinct 4 Commissioner.
Calvert emphasized that residents and local leaders have a unique opportunity to significantly amplify this ongoing financial progress.
"We together can put the cherry on top of the economic momentum that the Eastside has seen in a way that you have never dreamed of before," he said.
Despite the current momentum, the neighborhood faces a major transition in 2032 when the Spurs' arena lease expires and the team plans to move to a new downtown facility, taking thousands of fans with them.
"When the Spurs announced they were leaving, we were the first ones to step up and say the Eastside is our home," said Cody Davenport, CEO of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
To sustain foot traffic, voters approved Prop A last November to fund a multimillion-dollar initiative reimagining the Freeman Coliseum and Frost Bank Center for year-round rodeo events.
"We want development as much, if not more than anybody down there," Davenport said.
Davenport noted that increased local lodging and dining options would directly support the rodeo's year-round operations.
"I mean selfishly, it's great for the rodeo if there's tons of places to stay and eat," he said.
Educational institutions in the area are also expanding facilities to support the local workforce amid these shifting neighborhood dynamics.
"Renovations for our classrooms," said Dr. Adena Williams Loston, president of St. Philip's College.
The college is executing these upgrades using a nearly $15 million federal grant to add a formal main entrance and modernize training facilities.
"We're making sure students have the most modern up-to-date equipment, that we can deliver on what is expected of us, sending our students well prepared into the workforce," Loston said.
