Bill Simmons was all red about the San Antonio Spurs’ colorful home setup in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Using the “Fiesta” theme, the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, was adorned with vibrant colors to welcome the Spurs’ return to playoff basketball for the first time since 2019. Sections of the crowd were visually divided by the colors of the shirts – turquoise, pink, or orange – provided to fans before the game for their seats.
The reception to the Fiesta theme was mostly positive, but Simmons felt it was too much for a franchise that once made the playoffs 22 years in a row.
“You’ve won five titles as a franchise. It’s not the time for gimmicks. Act like you’ve been here before,” Simmons said during a recent episode of his podcast with NBA analyst Zach Lowe.
Meanwhile, Lowe did not seem to agree with Simmons, but Simmons doubled down on his take.
“It felt like I was at a parade,” Simmons added.
Perhaps it was Simmons’ age that was talking. At 56 years old, it’s just par for the course for him to be critical of anything that goes against an established tradition.
One can just imagine what Simmons’ reaction would be if he saw the Spurs glow up their home court with the same colors in a potential Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals against his Boston Celtics.
