Spurs 'Exploring' Arena Relocation with Victor Wembanyama?
The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly looking to capitalize on the addition of Victor Wembanyama in ways that extend beyond both the basketball court and their current home at the AT&T Center.
Per reports from the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs are "exploring" the possibility of moving their home arena to downtown San Antonio.
The Spurs have called the arena home since 2002, when it opened up as the SBC Center. The name changed to AT&T Center in 2006, even experiencing arena-wide renovations in 2016.
"I think they're doing some preliminary research to see if it would make sense," Eddie Aldrete, a political consultant who assisted with the funding campaign of the AT&T Center, told the Express-News. "They wouldn't want to start the conversation if the math doesn't add up."
Unlike most NBA arenas, the AT&T Center is about three miles outside of San Antonio's busiest parts of downtown. While the location clearly hasn't impacted the success of the five-time champs - who have had three title-clinching wins on their home floor - the venue is in a less-than-ideal area when it comes to maximizing sales, drawing more crowds, and ultimately providing an exciting night-life environment for fans before and after the game.
Per the report, the Spurs have a 21-year lease on the arena that ends in 2032, and have yet to comment on the possibility of venue relocation.
But with Wembanyama expected to take the franchise to familiar heights during the course of his career along with drawing tons of media attention on his own, the Spurs could need a new-and-improved venue to accommodate.
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