San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is bringing an innovative idea to the NBA.
The Spurs will implement a “supporter section” for the 2025-26 NBA season. But this won’t just be like any other section in the stands where fans purchase tickets to enjoy a Spurs game at Frost Bank Center. The team will be holding tryouts on Sunday as the first step in bringing Wemby’s vision to fruition.
“It’s been an idea,” Wembanyama told the Associated Press. “And now it’s a project.”
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Growing up and beginning his basketball journey in France, Wembanyama got the “supporter section” idea from European soccer and basketball. “Nonstop chants, drums, flags and passion” are some of the elements that will be featured and simulated at Sunday’s tryout, for which Wembanyama will be in attendance.
“If this group of ultras reaches its full potential, I have no doubt that it’s going to help us win games in the future for sure,” Wembanyama told AP. “I mean, the 41 regular-season games at home this season, that’s 41 opportunities for them to push in the fourth quarter and give us that extra energy and that second wind that can give us the win.”
U.S.-based soccer teams have similar groups. Major League Soccer’s Austin FC has its own version of the supporters’ section called Austin Anthem. This group was founded in 2013 and helped the city land an MLS team in 2021.
Now, the Spurs’ All-Star center is bringing a similar vibe to the NBA. Wemby and the organization are looking for passionate, high-energy fans who can commit to making at least 75 percent of the team’s home games (about 31 total). Membership to the group, which will vote on its name, will cost $999.
Wembanyama’s idea could spark more of a trend in the NBA. The Clippers have a similar group called The Wall, which is situated behind a basket at Intuit Dome.
Wembanyama skipped playing for France in the EuroBasket tournament this summer to focus on recovering from a blood clot that ended his 2024-25 season prematurely after just 46 games.
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