MEXICO CITY — The Palacio de Bellas Artes. Chapultepec Castle. The Museo Nacional de Antropologia.
For a museum nerd intrigued by different cultures, this has always been Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s challenge when visiting Mexico’s centuries-old capital city.
“They have a multitude of museums down there, a lot of art, that kind of thing,” Popovich said. “Their parks, their gardens throughout the city, are really beautiful.”
The Spurs arrived in Mexico City on Thursday with plenty to work on after their three-game winning streak ended with Wednesday’s 128-112 loss to Portland at the AT&T Center, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be mixing business with pleasure during their three-day stay.
For sure, they want to beat Miami on Saturday at Arena CDMX in the NBA’s first Mexico City game since 2019 and the league’s 31st in the country overall — the most in any country outside the United States or Canada — and the 11th regular-season contest.
But they also plan to do some sightseeing on what will be the first trip for many of the players to Mexico City, which has a metro area population of more than 22 million.
“I played a preseason (international game) in India, but I’ve never done the Mexico one,” said forward Doug McDermott, referring to a 2019 exhibition game in Mumbai while he was with Indiana.
The Spurs’ itinerary includes participating in a youth clinic along with franchise icon George Gervin and a practice Friday, but there are also scheduled visits to landmarks showcasing the country’s vibrant, historic culture.
“I know we have some art museums lined up, so I’m excited for it,” McDermott said. “I know the security will probably be tight, but I want to see it. I know it’s a massive place, so seeing some of the art, getting some good food and just being around the people, we are all looking forward to that.”
The game will mark the Spurs’ sixth in Mexico City and the first since they beat Phoenix 121-119 on Dec. 14, 2019, in their record-setting fourth consecutive overtime game. Patty Mills won it with a jumper from the free-throw line with 0.3 seconds left.
It also will be against a familiar opponent. The Spurs defeated the Heat 115-111 less than a week ago in Miami.
The Spurs (9-19) will lack momentum going into the game after falling to the Blazers and red-hot Damian Lillard, who scored 37 points to extend his streak of scoring 36 or more points to four games. Only Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, with 40, has scored more against the Spurs this season.
The injury-depleted Spurs kept it close much of the game, but a slow start doomed them to their 17th loss in 20 games against West teams as they plummeted back to the bottom of the conference standings.
The Spurs will try to regroup at practice Friday, with some fun scheduled for afterward, although forward Keldon Johnson said he plans to limit his sightseeing to just looking out of the windows of the team bus.
Johnson led the Spurs with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting Wednesday.
“I’ve never been to Mexico before, but I’ll probably stay in my room the whole time,” he said. “I’m excited to see the scenery on the bus ride. Then I’m going to stay in the room, probably play video games or something. Watch YouTube videos.
“I don’t want to see too much. Give me something to look forward to for a vacation.”
Popovich, on the other hand, will try to soak up as much as he can. Perhaps a trip to the Palacio Nacional, which houses historic murals by Diego Rivera, might be a perfect way to end Friday afternoon. Or perhaps a stroll in the Zocalo in the Centro Historico, home of the imposing Metropolitan Cathedral.
“Mexico City is a nice place,” Popovich said. “There are a lot of people, but there is a lot to see, a lot to do, restaurants are great. It’s just always fun to go to a different area like that, a different country. It’s very enjoyable for everybody.”