A Year of Growth: Behind the San Antonio Spurs' Austin Expansion & New-Market Reach

An exclusive interview with Spurs Sports & Entertainment's Brandon James and world record holder Ben Duong helped tell the story of the San Antonio Spurs' year-long growth and market expansion into the heart of Central Texas — something it will continue to build on in years to come.

Author:
Matt Guzman
Apr 20, 2024

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San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio

Austin

AUSTIN, Tx. — South by Southwest might just epitomize the city at the heart of Central Texas.

"Keep Austin Weird" is a phrase you'll hear a few times throughout your stay in the state capital, though not in a bad way. A city boasting so many cultures should want to preserve its unique culture.

And it does. In fact, it "dedicates" itself to helping "creative people" achieve their goals.

So, what better way to do so than by hosting a conglomerate art showcase in and around the metroplex? How better to help creatives achieve their goals than providing them an outlet?

If the answer to those rhetorical questions was "no better way," then Spurs Sports & Entertainment SVP of Strategic Growth Brandon James wanted in. While Austin's proud residents attended and enjoyed the annual festivities of SXSW, he wanted to give them just one more thing to look at: a product.

A team.

"We actually (had) a formal partnership with SXSW this year," James said. "Aligning ourselves with a uniquely-Austin brand just allowed us another touch point to extend our reach into areas we may not otherwise have had access to."

All of a sudden, San Antonio Spurs logos were paired with the festival and its promotions. Austin residents could enjoy a ticket package of SXSW wristbands and seats to watch the Silver & Black in action at Moody Center.

"We aren't in complete control of when we play in Austin," James said. "So, understanding that the dates that we were given this year were fell on SXSW, we could do one of two things: shy away from that ... or embrace it."

undefined — San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson performs on stage during SXSW alongside the Spurs Coyote.

Photo captured from a video provided by the San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs chose the latter. They had players make appearances at the festival and fully embraced Austin's culture. To finish out what the team coined "Spurs Week" — which featured activations, meet-and-greets and more — the team played two "home" games in the city as a part of its now-annual "I-35 Series."

And while the environment was different than the one it was used to back at Frost Bank Center, it was a welcome change.

"We had an idea that there was an appetite for NBA basketball in Austin," James explained. "But we hadn't been super intentional about what that looked like, so for the past three years, we finally put some intentionality behind it."

Turns out, intentionality was exactly what it needed.

Jeremy Sochan held a marker in his right hand — signing the back of his own jersey worn by a fan during a meet and greet — and with his left, he stretched the fabric.

The then-rookie power forward was stationed in downtown Austin speaking with young fans, posing for photos with others and serving as a face for "the team down South." Central Texas wasn't used to having an NBA team — at least, not in the capital — so, what it was experiencing with what appeared to be a Spurs takeover was new.

And for a first-time experience, Sochan left a positive impression.

"Jeremy was tremendous [at his meet-and-greet]," James said during our interview one year ago. "He does such a good job of connecting with fans and connecting with the community. He does it in a way that's unique and authentic to who he is, and who we are at the Spurs organization.

"He's one of those players where you meet him once and you remember it forever."

Giving fans the chance to meet Sochan was one of the highlights of the Spurs' two-game trip to Austin, which was coupled with community outreach events and other activations to promote the team in an attempt to win over the new city's fanbase.

James' overall goal for the operation was to begin to plant the seed of the Spurs being Austin's team, and despite the woes they had been facing, it worked. Fans poured into Moody Center to watch San Antonio take on the Portland Trailblazers and Minnesota Timberwolves, and set venue attendance records in the process.

And then they did it again this year.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets made their way to town, as did the Brooklyn Nets for the second year of the Spurs' two-game series at Moody Center, and fans piled in. Some were eager for their chance to see Victor Wembanyama for the first time, while others reveled in the opportunity to be apart of a record-setting crowd that tallied up to 16,223 fans.

Needless to say, it was a success.

"The buzz around our team is palpable," James said. "You're starting to see more Spurs gear in and around town, and a lot more people are driving from Austin to San Antonio to come to our games."

The latter observation by James and the Spurs was an even bigger win than connecting to fans in Austin was, but for the four games spanning two seasons that the NBA's youngest team played at Moody Center, that wasn't the focus. Bringing Spurs culture to Austin was.

"We (had) to be intentional about how we make sure that our brand gets in the hands of fans that may not live in the 210 area code that is San Antonio," James said. "It's about meeting fans where they are.

"No matter where you are in the world, you're a part of our family."

Whether fans lived in Austin and took a chance on the young team playing in their backyard, lived in San Antonio and made the trip over to Austin — or even watched from afar, taking in another generational performance from Wembanyama, the Spurs' family was welcoming.

Moody Center opened its doors, and a shared love for basketball did the rest.

In fact, the sky was limitless when that came into play.

Just Keep Dribbling: A Marathon, A Basketball and A World Record

Ben Duong had never owned a basketball.

It wasn't that the 24-year-old Austinite was un-athletic — you'll come to know it's quite the opposite — but rather because he'd never really taken a liking to the sport. Not enough to invest in it, anyway.

"I've played pickup with my friends," Duong said. "(But) I've never seriously played. I've never been a super competitive player."

Instead, Duong found his passion in running. The 24-year-old, born and raised in North Austin, was able to tap into that passion at McNeil High School as a varsity track-and-field athlete before going on to do the same at Dallas Baptist University, where he made waves as both a runner and first-rate student.

Once he was done with the Patriots, however, the idea of continuing to run competitively seemed out of the question. As far as Duong was concerned, his professional career was over.

That was, until he ran a 1:22:38 at the Austin Marathon in January of 2023.

"While it was horrific, it made me realize how much I missed racing," Duong explained. "So, I decided to get back into it."

Duong began to run more frequently, targeting races in around his hometown of Austin to re-establish his rhythm — which longtime coach and friend Paras Shah and Raw Running, a running group based in the city, played a large role in.

"I watched him grow up," Shah said of his relationship with Duong. "He's a really good kid. He's very nice, super smart (and) he works really, really hard. He's, in many ways, as straight-laced as they come.

"When he puts his mind to something, he's very good at getting it done."

So, when Shah got a message from Brandon James on behalf of the San Antonio Spurs explaining that the team wanted to make history at the 2024 Austin Marathon by sponsoring a runner dribbling a basketball for 13 miles, Duong was one of his immediate candidates.

He wasn't the only one, but it became pretty clear that he was the best one rather quickly.

"I thought of (about) four or five people," Shah said. "Two or three of them went and tried to dribble the basketball while running and they failed. They either weren't fast enough. Or they just texted me back saying 'Hey, this is way too hard to do.'"

Duong was different. He hadn't ever attempted to dribble a basketball while running long distances before, but like Shah mentioned, he put his mind to the task until it was doable.

"I did a short run and I was like, 'Paras, I'm not going to lie. That was kind of difficult. But here's what I ran, and here's how fast I did it.'"

The message Duong received next?

"You're the best chance we have. Are you comfortable doing this?"

Duong was.

Ever the high achiever, he began to dribble and run religiously.

The terms of the race were simple: Duong, with the help of James and company, would wear custom-made Spurs gear and run a half-marathon at the annual Austin race. He would be running alongside everyone else and complete the race as fast as he could while maintaining a constant dribble. If he lost the ball, he'd pick it back up, return to the spot where it was lost and continue on.

"Once (the Spurs and I) agreed to terms, I would practice by running around my neighborhood dribbling a basketball every day," Duong explained. "I got a lot of weird looks from pedestrians and cars driving by but, you know, it was okay. They didn't know what we knew."

The Spurs got their guy. Duong was committed to running the race — easily gaining the support of his family and friend — and was gunning for the world record, which previously stood at 1 hour and 25 minutes, or an average pace of around 6 minutes and 49 seconds per mile. The race was on.

But why did James and company decide to go to Shah?

According to Duong, San Antonio knew that "anyone" could dribble a basketball and run a half-marathon. Yes, it would've gotten publicity and made a statement, but the team wanted to take things a step further and gun for a world record: a feat that would certainly draw all sorts of attention.

Duong's personality just made the deal sweeter.

"He's someone with enthusiasm," James explained. "He's enthusiastic about what we're doing, where the team is going, and that's something that we (were able) to really get behind."

Shah seconded James' sentiment.

"If it's just a normal person, and they just happen to get it, it's like 'Okay, cool,'" he said. "But (Ben) had the right personality. What often gets missed in these types of things is that it's not just about the athletic performance, but you've got to have a little personality, too."

Race day wasn't kind to Ben Duong.

Not only did he wake up late — an added stressor to a day already set to be hectic — but it was also cold. Despite the extenuating circumstances, however, he got up, got himself to the starting line and prepared to make history.

"Guinness, in terms of verification, needed all sorts of camera angles and someone be there to watch me do it," Duong explained. "So, I did have to ask a couple of my closest running friends, Kobe Yepez and and Elijah McWilliams (to help)."

Both Yepez and McWilliams were more-than happy to play a role.

While Duong ran, the pair operated the Go-Pros provided by Guinness to help verify his progress. As he ran, they did, too.

"They were like, 'It'll just be a fun run on a Sunday morning through the city of Austin'," he said.

Duong didn't lose the ball once. He crossed the finish line with four minutes to spare — securing a time of 1:21:39 — to break the record and earn himself a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

He had done it. But he won't tell you that.

"It's not just about him," Shah said. "When you watch the clip, you'll see somebody who was truly excited about the moment. It was not for him, it was not a marketing stunt. ... It was about making everybody else that he had told that he was doing this proud."

That was exactly it. Duong was representing himself, Shah and the Spurs all in one go. That's why he didn't make excuses, nor did he set his mind on anything else but fulfilling the task. And when he crossed the finish line — quickly engulfed in a warm hug from the Spurs Coyote — he solidified it.

"It just didn't feel real," Duong said. "It felt like a simulation. It felt like a dream."

"We are living in a world where people are asking to take pictures with Ben Duong," he continued. "And I feel like that sentence just like really summarizes how it all feels. Like, it's an indescribable feeling to know that we all did something. We all came together to do it."

Duong was gifted a custom Manu Ginobili jersey, which he says just happened to be his favorite player. He hadn't told anyone, yet — like the rest of the day — it just worked out.

So, with a Spurs logo on his chest and "Pound the Rock" printed vertically down his back, Duong was even more hooked into the Spurs family. He was from Austin, but that was okay.

In fact, as far as James was concerned, that was almost preferred.

"We wanted to be uplifting," James said. "Making sure that (Duong was) getting the recognition and bringing attention to not only Austin and the Austin Marathon, but to our brand. We love working with the community to really show that we're a part of it.

"We're not just here for show."

The Spurs have proven exactly that over the past two seasons with built in trips to Austin. But they aren't finished expanding.

Not even close.

Not Done Yet: A Long-Term Goal

Before the massive celebration that rocked Frost Bank Center at the end of the season when the Spurs knocked off Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, there was one at Moody Center.

In an overtime effort, San Antonio bested the Brooklyn Nets. It wasn't an easy win by any means, but nothing about the Spurs' season had been to that point. Even with Victor Wembanyama, the youngest team in the NBA endured its share of struggles.

It lost 18 in a row, lost Bassey and even dealt with position changes in an attempt to open up its offense. There were times when rock bottom seemed pretty in-reach. But not that Sunday evening.

That day, the Spurs felt on top.

“We felt like we couldn’t leave Austin without grabbing one,” Wembanyama said of taking the game against the Nets. "It’s those moments where we progress the most. It’s really, really enjoyable, (and) especially when you win.”

When the buzzer sounded, the Spurs secured their victory, and Moody Center lost it. It was a feeling the arena had only experienced once before, when the team beat the Portland Trail Blazers a year prior, but with Wembanyama in the mix — and an even larger crowd — this win felt different.

For the city of Austin, it was a sign of potential. For the Spurs, it was a momentum-builder.

For James, it was a sign of hope.

"The fans and the people are the heart of what we're doing," James said. "So, we're excited that the Spurs are beginning to get some real traction in this market. We understand that we have a lot of work left to do. But we're all very excited about the impact that we've had."

As the city of Austin continues to grow — which it certainly will — so, too will the Spurs' presence and allure. And if they needed any reassurance of that, they can take Duong's word for it.

"I think it's a really smart decision," the 24-year-old explained. "I mean, everyone and their moms have been moving to Austin over the last few years, so it's, a lot of untapped potential for them."

Duong's story was nothing short of inspirational for others, but most importantly for the Spurs. As far as passion goes, they struck a goldmine with him, but more than just being a runner, Duong is an example of just how willing fans are to accept and embrace a city based in a Southern Texas city.

He showed how deep Spurs culture can run — literally and figuratively.

Safe to say, James and the rest of the team loved it.

"We are uniquely positioned to be able to draw from a city as thriving as Austin," James said of the Spurs' expansion efforts. "And to be (able) to have the anchor in San Antonio is a unique position that we're not taking for granted. I think our ambitions are big.

"We're shooting for the sky."

An open-concept convenience store sits in the terminal walkway at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Inside is a vast collection of sports merchandise, ranging from Burnt Orange UT Austin gear to Dallas Cowboys hats and T-shirts. Customers trickle in and out of the space, some taking gear with them, while others simply peruse the selection. At first glance, the shop is fairly ordinary.

But a closer look reveals otherwise.

At the front of the store, a stand featuring numerous kinds of Austin F.C. merchandise is the first thing customers see upon entering. And next to the stand? A symbol of San Antonio's influence proudly hangs: A rack of Victor Wembanyama jerseys in all sizes.

Exactly what the Spurs had hoped for.

San Antonio will always be home for the Spurs, just as Austin will always be the city of "weird." But the pairing between the two is beginning to become clearer. The line separating the cities thinner.

If the NBA's youngest team can be a bridge between two Texas cities with vastly different cultures, then James and company have accomplished their goal. They're not fully there, yet, but they're getting closer. And they're excited.

Just like the rest of Austin's fanbase is beginning to be for the Silver & Black.

"There is a clear energy around our team," James said. "We're a young team. We have really talented players. I think people are really most excited about not necessarily where we may be right now, but where we're heading.

"That's what we're trying to capitalize on."