A significant change is taking place within the San Antonio Spurs organization, but it does not involve head coach Gregg Popovich or any of the players on the team’s roster.
According to court documents obtained by the San Antonio Express-News, Spurs owners Julianna Hawn Holt and Peter Holt are in the process of filing for a divorce. Julianna, who took over as chief executive officer and chairman of the team nearly two years ago after Peter made the surprising decision to relinquish control, filed for divorce on Dec. 22. She told the court that “the marriage has become insupportable because of discord of conflict of personalities … that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation.”
The documents state that Julianna and Peter have not been living together as husband and wife, with Peter living part time at the family’s ranch in Texas and spending some time at a villa in Hawaii.
As the Express-News notes, the divorce could have some impact on the Spurs.
It’s uncertain what immediate impact the split will have on the team’s ownership group and the franchise in general. The Holts married in 1985 and have been involved with the Spurs since 1996, when they became the franchise’s largest shareholders.
Bexar County records show the Holts entered into a marital agreement recorded in 2006 and amended more than seven years later. Neither the original nor the amended agreement was publicly filed.
The agreement defines the property each owned prior to their marriage, the property each received during the marriage, and their community property.
In addition, the agreement specifies “who has management, control and the rights to disposition” as to their separate property and their community property.
Peter Holt, 69, announced in 2016 that he is stepping away from the every day operations of the Spurs, which he had been involved with for 20 years. The team won five NBA championships during that span.
Like the Yankees in baseball and Patriots in football, the Spurs have become known for being one of the most stable franchises in sports. However, some questions about Kawhi Leonard’s relationship with the team this season have threatened that image — at least temporarily. The owners of the team divorcing after 30 years of marriage could raise even more concerns.
