On March 4, Spurs Sports and Entertainment opened the AT&T Center for the first time since the NBA shutdown last year. This special game, was only open to healthcare personnel who have been exceptional during the pandemic. Most, if not all, gained their coveted seats via a lottery. My father was one of those lucky few (who works in a local hospital) to get tickets, and I was able to go with him. With that, all 1,800 or so in attendance that night were the first official fans back in the AT&T Center.

It felt weird having not been in the arena for a year, and especially since the NBA has been religious about limiting to playing behind closed doors fans ever since all 30 ball clubs stepped back onto the court in December. Setbacks and COVID case spikes were a huge loss as the Spurs could have had fans in the seats as early as New Year’s Day, but the first official public game is Friday, March 12, and will be limiting capacity to 3,200 people only.

There is a process upon entering the AT&T Center which is not as different as it was a year ago, only with a modern COVID twist. Social distancing markers on the ground are placed in and out of the arena. Temperatures will be taken before entry past the security gate, and you may be asked to complete an online self-screening upon arrival. Then, standard and traditional security checks will be administered. Touch-less tickets via the Spurs app are accepted only, as well as payments for food and beverages.

As for concessions, some of the “Fan Favorites,” and Pizza Hut stands are open, but fountain drinks are not being served. The new and technological Zippin Smart Stores are also available in the arena. Touch-less pay through the app is mandatory there, and throughout the entire AT&T Center. Bottled drinks, including adult and alcoholic beverages, and pre-packaged food are for sale.

The game itself was an interesting one to watch as the Spurs faced Oklahoma City. Each seat got a special t-shirt commemorating “heroes,” as well as a bottle of hand sanitizer. Artificial crowd noises still linger in the arena speakers above in the rafters during the opponent’s free throw attempts. (Which obviously sounds a lot better under Bill Land and Sean Elliot’s color commentary) Ushers in sections are religious about masks and reminding fans to pull theirs up even after eating or drinking. Cleaning crews as well can be seen constantly wiping and spraying high-touch areas of the arena such as railings, and even mopping the floors.

A friendly reminder may be emailed to you hours before, guiding you on certain things. In an email sent out to most fans that game, it said, “The San Antonio Spurs are partnering with Health Pass by CLEAR to help you return to the AT&T Center. Health Pass is a free mobile solution that allows you to complete COVID-related screening requirements before arriving at the game. Remember to complete the in-app checklist no more than twelve hours before the game. All you need is a government-issued ID. If you’re sitting in Courtside (Rows 1-9), a COVID-19 test and lab provider login may be required.”

It was tentatively weird, but yet not anything new. Getting used to few fans in attendance, and having not been to a game in over a year is something every Spurs fan attending a game this latter half of the season will have to get used to as well.

I even got the chance to briefly interview the usher in our section before the game, named Audra, who has been an usher with Spurs Sports and Entertainment for three seasons. It was also the first time that most ushers were back in the arena this season, and Audra was one of them. “It’s awesome! I’m so excited,” she said.

First hand, she gave a description of the atmosphere a little over a year ago, than what it’s like inside the arena now. She said, “The hard thing is that there’s less fans, but everyone who is here is definitely excited to be here.” She continues, “It’s nice to have something a little bit normal in a world that isn’t normal right now.”

Spurs player Keldon Johnson, even greeted all fans right before tip-off at center court, thanking all the heroes in attendance. “We just wanted to give a special shout out to all the hometown heroes. I want to thank you guys so much. Tonight is for you- Go Spurs Go!” He exclaimed excitedly.

R.C. Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, was seen in a social media post on the Spurs Official pages, reminding fans that if they “aren’t feeling well,” to PLEASE stay home.

He ends the message by saying, “These are unprecedented times, but the values we’ll use to get through them are anything but new. By working together and following our game plan, we know we can safely meet the other part of our mission: Making memories, a pastime now, we need more than ever.”

The Spurs aren’t the first NBA team to welcome fans back. Last month, The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets were able to open up for the first time since the shutdown back in March of 2020, to limited fans of course. The Spurs encourage you to download the Spurs official app to make purchasing and scanning tickets safer and easier if you do plan on attending any of the few games left in the season.