Fans pack Frost Bank Center for Spurs’ annual Silver & Black Scrimmage
San Antonio Spurs guard/foward Keldon Johnson holds the microphone out after telling fans to yell "Go Spurs Go" following the Silver & Black Scrimmage at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News)
The Spurs 2026 rookie class got its first taste Sunday night of how enthusiastic the team’s fans can be at the Frost Bank Center.
"They were so into it tonight," first-round center Tarris Reed Jr. said after playing in front of a packed arena at the annual free Silver & Black Scrimmage. "They were cheering, they were yelling, screaming. It was like, oh my gosh, it really felt like a game, and I was like the people, the fans of San Antonio, they really care. Us rookies were talking about it like, ‘Wow, these fans are different.’
"It was so special tonight."
Keldon Johnson led all scorers with 19 points. Dylan Harper (18), Julian Champagnie (17), Victor Wembanyama (16), Devin Vassell (15) and David Jones Garcia (11) also scored in double figures as the Spurs returned to their home arena for the first time since the New York Knicks ended the 2026 NBA Finals with a 94-90 victory in Game 5 on June 13.
Afterward, Johnson served as emcee for the rookie karaoke. Reed, the Connecticut big man the Spurs selected 26th overall, stole the show with a rousing rendition of Bon Jovi’s "Livin’ on a Prayer."
"Me and my little brother used to listen to that song growing up, so I knew it would be a crowd favorite," Reed, a 23-year-old St. Louis native, said. "I think everyone knew the song. Hopefully. If you don’t, that’s on you. A good song."
Johnson, who is entering this season as the longest-tenured current Spur with seven seasons to his credit, said he always enjoys the scrimmage.
"I feel like it gives our fans a chance to really come out and support, maybe (a lot of whom) can’t make it out necessarily during the season," Johnson said. "We get to give them a sneak peek and we try to go out there and put on our best performance, go out there and have fun, give the crowd what they want and just enjoy it. I feel like this is a chance we get to play against each other, have fun, bond with the crowd, make this a memorable moment. So, yeah, I definitely look forward to every year. I look forward to getting out there, yelling and having fun with the fans.
"I feel like it gets to show them a preview of what’s to come throughout the season."
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This article originally published at Fans pack Frost Bank Center for Spurs’ annual Silver & Black Scrimmage.
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.