‘Insulted’ pro-Trump Spurs fans feel forced to choose between their team and the president

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Not long ago, Cassandra Casanova would plan her weeks around the NBA playoff schedule. She would wear her San Antonio Spurs gear and spend days talking about her favorite team, dissecting its postseason matchup.

Not this year.

“I have no idea when the games are,” she said. “I could not care less.”

“I am completely turned off. After all those years supporting the team, and now I just have no interest,” she said. “Popovich really messed up.”

Sports fandom in 2018 can be complicated, particularly when athletes and coaches have no qualms about espousing their political views. Fans such as Casanova are the inevitable result: She feels insulted and can no longer bring herself to root for her favorite team, which is making its 21st consecutive playoff appearance. When Popovich got political, Casanova got a garbage bag and filled it with 30 or so Spurs T-shirts, banners and trinkets. It all went to Goodwill.

“That’s how angry I got. It ruined my basketball life,” she said. “I took it personally. I was such a loyal fan, and he insulted me. Why would you start attacking the people who had been so loyal?”

“I often curse Pop for doing what he did,” said Bob Mulherin, a Spurs fan for more than 25 years. “He insulted more than half of the Spurs’ fan base, and no sign whatsoever of an apology.”

Mulherin watched Saturday’s playoff game, but he did so alone. Spurs games were once a family affair, but his wife and son want nothing to do with the team now.

“It is sad that Pop basically told my wife and my son and me for that matter that we were fools for supporting Donald Trump,” he said. “What happens when someone calls you a fool? You avoid them.”

Dawn Hold started following the team 20 years ago, from the inception of the Tim Duncan era, a stretch that produced five NBA titles. She said she’s not a fair-weather fan and is hoping she’ll be able to someday cheer her favorite team again. “I don’t think I could desert them forever,” she said.

“I refuse to go to a game right now or even watch on TV,” she said. “I was really hurt by what he said. He’s basically accusing all the people who voted this one way of being racists and misogynists. It feels very personal.”

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