How well do you know your history when it comes to where the San Antonio Spurs have played over the years? You may be surprised to know that a total of 7 different venues have been the home of the Spurs at one time or another.
Read on to learn, or refresh your memory, about each one.
State Fair Coliseum
As any keen fan will know, the Spurs first played under the name Dallas (Texas) Chaparrals and they did so at four different venues. The first of these was the State Fair Coliseum between 1967 and 1973. It is still open today as a multi-purpose arena and can hold 8,513 people. Having opened in 1955 it received a renovation in 1988.
Moody Coliseum
The Moody Coliseum has a slightly lower capacity than the State Fair Coliseum, holding 7,000 fans. The Spurs played here between 1967 and 1973 before they moved to San Antonio. Since its opening in 1956, over $40 million has been spent on renovations with the most recent coming in 2014. The Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s Professional Basketball League and the Dallas Mavericks have also played at Moody Coliseum.
Tarrant County Coliseum
Tarrant County Coliseum was a step up from the previous two arenas with a current capacity of just over 14,000. It is located in Sundance Square, Downtown Fort Worth and the indoor arena has been designed to resemble a flying saucer. In addition to once being the home of the Spurs, Tarrant County Coliseum played host to some famous acts including Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney and Wings, The Bee Gees and U2.
Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
The Lubbock Municipal Coliseum was the 4th venue used by the team under the name of the Dallas (Texas) Chaparrals. Situated in Lubbock, Texas the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum was used for just a single year by the team as they attempted to spread their appeal to fans in different areas of the State. In addition to professional basketball, this arena has also been used for college basketball and ice hockey.
HemisFair Arena
Despite being one of the most recent arenas used by the San Antonio Spurs and the first under their current name, this is the only venue in the list which no longer exists. San Antonio Spurs enjoyed a long spell at the HemisFair Arena, playing there between 1973 and 1993. Having initially held 10,146 fans for basketball, the roof was raised and this allowed an extra tier of seating which took the capacity to over 16,000.
San Antonio Spurs played their final game at the HemisFair Arena on the 20th of May 1993 against the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 the Western Conference semi-finals.
Alamodome
When moving to the Alamodome in 1993, the San Antonio Spurs saw a huge rise in the total number of spectators they could accommodate at a game. This multipurpose stadium can hold up to 64,000 fans and can even be extended if required to seat a further 8,000 fans. If this was a venue which was primarily used for basketball, its sheer size would make it the biggest basketball venue in the world in terms of spectator capacity. Incidentally, that accolade goes to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Philippines, a venue mainly used for basketball that can hold a crowd of 55,000.
San Antonio Spurs time at the Alamodome will be remembered for their first NBA championship season. It was played against the New York Knicks in 1999 and the Spurs defeated the Knicks 4-1 to win the championship.
AT&T Center
This is the current home of the San Antonio Spurs having taken up residence in 2002. It is located on the east side of San Antonio and holds 18,418 people for basketball. San Antonio Spurs moved there having become disillusioned with the Alamodome. It was constructed specifically with the Spurs in mind and is also home to the San Antonio Rampage ice hockey team.
