An NBA game was interrupted Saturday night as the San Antonio Spurs’ Coyote mascot, dressed in a Batman costume, chased a bat around the arena, as the PA system played the old Batman TV series theme song.
If that scene sounds too bizarre to be true, sorry, it really happened, during the Spurs game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Players noticed a bat flying around in the first quarter, leading to a stoppage in play.
Enter the Spurs’ Coyote mascot, wearing a Batman costume. The Coyote chased the bat around in circles before impressively nabbing the little creature with a net.
If you’re wondering why the Spurs had a Batman costume on hand for their mascot, it’s because this has happened many times before. Here’s an incident from 2015.
the spurs' mascot is an american hero pic.twitter.com/gOVsZ2uij0
— jack (@jackhaveitall) December 29, 2015
As a matter of fact, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was said to be looking around Saturday night for team executive Manu Ginóbili, who as a player during a 2009 game knocked down, picked up and carried away a bat. On Halloween, no less.
So the Spurs, who play in a city where bats are everywhere — one cave alone in town has 15 million bats — have learned to live with stray bats during games.
Hopefully, superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama knows what to expect in that regard.
Not all NBA fans are familiar with the Spurs’ bat history, either, leading to some very puzzled reactions on X/Twitter Saturday night.
The Spurs’ tradition of sending Coyote out there with a net and a Batsuit when there’s a loose bat in the arena while the Adam West theme plays is one of the best things in all of sports. I love this team. pic.twitter.com/f00BeMH9ON
— Preston Moore, M.A. (@prestoncmoore) January 28, 2024
[Clutch Points; Photo Credit: Bally Sports]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.