On Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs officially set a new NBA attendance record with 68,323 fans arriving at Alamodome to watch them take on the Golden State Warriors.
The previous NBA single-game attendance record was logged on March 27, 1998, when the Chicago Bulls faced off against the Atlanta Hawks in front of 62,046 at Georgia Dome. Chicago won this game 89-74 over Atlanta.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Spurs are not expected to make the playoffs this season. Meanwhile, the Warriors possess the fourth-best odds to repeat. Sportsbooks are still favoring Golden State.
🚨 WE BROKE THE NBA ATTENDANCE RECORD!!! 🚨
68,323 fans in the @Alamodome tonight!!! History 🥳👏 pic.twitter.com/7ZgRxWFUsZ
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 14, 2023
San Antonio hosted the Warriors at Alamodome to commemorate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. The Spurs played their home games at the arena from 1993 to 2002.
Since 1993, the Alamodome has hosted the Alamo Bowl for college football. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners football team play their home games there as well.
Spurs officially set new NBA attendance record at Alamodome with 68,323 against Warriors, breaking previous record of 62,046
On May 12, 2002, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers was the last NBA game played at Alamodome. San Antonio lost 87-85 and dropped to 1-3 in the seven-game series. That was 7,551 days ago from Friday night.
“The Alamodome was originally configured to accommodate 65,000 fans and it was adjusted due to the high demand for this historic event,” the Spurs released in a statement before the matchup.
Prior to tip-off, a video tribute was played to honor Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played four seasons with San Antonio (1998–01, 2002-03). Unfortunately for Spurs fans, Golden State went on to score a season-high 144 points.
Michael Jordan | 34 Points
Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks
March 27 1998
🏟 62,046 then NBA single game attendance record
đź“ŤGeorgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia#NBA#BullsNation pic.twitter.com/eoohsijP2Z
— The Jordan Rules (@Rules23Jordan) January 14, 2023
Although the Spurs lost 144-113 and fell to 13-30, one player was still thrilled to be a part of history. “Obviously, I hate to lose. But with the turnout, how can you be mad?” said San Antonio wing Keldon Johnson. “The Spurs fanbase surpassed anything we could imagine. That made tonight special.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was not amused by his team’s performance, needless to say. Golden State scored 40-plus points in the second and third quarters. “The fans enjoyed themselves, even though we were getting our ass kicked,” Popovich said. “They seemed to be having a hell of a time, so there must have been a lot of beer sales out there.”
Another crowded matchup occurred between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons on January 29, 1988. A whopping 61,983 fans paid for tickets at the Pontiac Silverdome, which was also home to the Detroit Lions. Larry Bird and the Celtics lost this contest 125-108 versus Isiah Thomas and the Pistons.
