San Antonio Spurs Uniform Has Military Theme; Tribute To American Soldiers Get Mixed Reactions
The San Antonio Spurs has a new alternate jersey theme. It features a camouflage/military design.
This serves as the Spurs’ way of paying tribute to the US military. It is also a part of the NBA Pride Uniform Collection which is inspired by the city or region’s identity or history. For the Spurs, the military was an easy choice as San Antonio, Texas is home to Joint Base San Antonio-- a military stronghold composed of the Army’s Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base. In fact, San Antonio has the nickname “Military City.”
From the San Antonio Spurs page at nba.com, rising star Danny Green, the Spurs starting guard says: “Playing in San Antonio, we’re constantly reminded of the selflessness and courage of those that serve. We owe them a debt of gratitude and it is an honor to recognize and show support to all active and retired military members.”
These designs will be worn on a USAA Salute Night game against the Washington Wizards on November 13. There is also Military Appreciation Night, which falls on February 28 next year, featuring a match up with the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Spurs franchise itself has military ties. For more than a decade, the team was dominated by David Robinson, a registered Naval officer and his nickname was the admiral. Coach Gregg Poppovich also served in various functions for National Security (read:spy). The team, in general, has been characterized by stoic, disciplined efficiency. This scenario seems ideal.
The fans don’t seem to agree. The basketball court is unfamiliar territory, to say the least, for camo designs. Most of their fans have aired negative reactions, despite acknowledging the good intentions behind the choice. Some of the Twitter reactions:
Really not prepared to live in a world where Tim Duncan has to wear a digi camo uniform.
— Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson) October 24, 2013
Really not prepared to live in a world where Tim Duncan has to wear a digi camo uniform. — Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson) October 24, 2013
Yet, there are still some who welcome the idea, since recent Spurs jerseys have been pretty drab. Despite being the most consistently successful in the past 15 years, the team is not really known to be trendsetters. That will not change in the near future.