Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs’ young core are set to play their prime years in a downtown arena expected to arrive before their lease ends in 2032.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama, the face of the Spurs’ franchise and – depending on who you ask – of the city, too, offered fewer than 40 words when asked about his reaction to voter approval of funding for a new downtown arena.
It was among the shortest answers he gave following the team’s Tuesday loss to the Lakers, just the Spurs’ second defeat of a season in which they hope to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.
But in a manner unsurprising to anyone who’s heard Wembanyama speak over the last two years, the words felt deliberately chosen by the 21-year-old star who perhaps understood how closely they could be scrutinized after Proposition B passed with 52% of votes in support—a narrow margin reflecting the scope of community debate over a pivotal ballot measure in the weeks leading up to Tuesday night.
“It’s cool, it’s cool,” Wembanyama said Wednesday night, 24 hours removed from Proposition B’s victory. “Yeah, I’m happy. Hopefully it’s a project that can grow into something more than just a building, you know, and the whole ecosystem.”
“But I’m hopeful.”
Wembanyama himself didn’t have to do anything over recent months for his name to be closely linked with the Spurs arena question.
Nonetheless, that’s often what happened as supporters of the project feared even the possibility that the team’s only major professional sports franchise could leave the Alamo City were Prop B to fail. (The team, for their part, never directly commented on their strategy if voters rejected arena funding, instead repeating in the days leading up to Tuesday that they were confident they’d get the green light from voters).
Instead, now that voters have approved hundreds of millions for not only a downtown Spurs arena but also upgrades to San Antonio Rodeo facilities, Wembanyama is primed to spend the prime years of his career playing in a sleek new arena set to be built at the former Institute of Texan Cultures site.
In typical Wemby fashion, his answer also examines the bigger picture beyond a brick-and-mortar building. Supporters of Proposition B – including business leaders, as well as former mayors Ron Nirenberg and Henry Cisneros – have touted its potential to revitalize downtown as an entertainment destination. And a new Spurs arena is just one of many “anchor projects” that make up the city’s dream of a downtown sports and entertainment district.
The team, for its part, has said it plans to play a role in setting the blueprint for that bigger picture: It’s committed to working with stakeholders and other companies to create $1.4 billion in future private development around the arena, and pledged $75 million in community benefits over 30 years.