The San Antonio Spurs celebrated the 50th anniversary of the franchise on Friday night with more than 68,000 guests, including Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
The Spurs returned to their former home, the cavernous Alamodome, to reach an NBA record attendance mark of 68,323.
Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson announced the official attendance at the close of the third quarter. Robinson. “Spurs fans have again set the standard for the league.”
The previous record was also set in a venue more suited for football. A crowd of 62,046 watched Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls play the Atlanta Hawks at the Georgia Dome on March 27, 1998.
The franchise started at the HemisFair Arena in 1973 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team now plays in AT&T Center
The Warriors spoiled the festive mood by posting a 144-113 victory to move back to .500 at 21-21. Jordan Poole led Golden State with 25 points.
Donte DiVincenzo (22 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Stephen Curry (15 points, three assists) added 37 points in the victory. Tre Jones tallied 21 points and five assists for the Spurs.
The Warriors have one of the NBA’s worst road records, and Curry said after the game, “It takes 68,000 [fans] to bring our best road performance of the year.”
