Well, howdy there, partner. You found yourself standin’ on holy ground for basketball fans and music lovers alike-the spot where the HemisFair Arena once stood tall, right here in the heart of San Antonio. Now, I know she ain’t here no more-the old gal was torn down back in ‘95-but let me tell y’all, this place sure saw more excitement than a bull at a rodeo on payday.
Built for the grand HemisFair of 1968, she rose up with steel bones and a can-do spirit, just down the way from that mighty Tower of the Americas. Two Texas heavyweights-Lyda outta San Antonio and H.A. Lott from Houston-pooled their sweat to make it happen. Back then, she could hold a respectable 10,146 folks, but it didn’t take long for the crowds to swell. Soon as the Spurs arrived from Dallas in ‘73, folks could hardly find a seat-especially after a fella named George “The Iceman” Gervin showed up and started makin’ shots so smooth you'd think he was butterin’ a biscuit.
The Spurs cut their teeth in this very spot, goin’ from the ABA to NBA, and turned this arena into a downright cauldron of noise. Folks ‘round here still say it was one of the loudest barns in all of basketball. In ‘78, they raised the roof-no, I mean literally raised the roof-to squeeze in thousands more, though some of those new seats had views about as reliable as a dry creek in August, what with them support beams blockin’ the action. Course, it was the first place in all the land to get one of them fancy center-hung JumboTrons-all flash and spectacle, a real marvel for its time.
But it wasn’t just hoops that rattled the rafters here. Good ol’ Johnny Cash sang his heart out to a packed house in ‘69. The King, Elvis Presley, shook, rattled, and rolled here in ‘72 for his big documentary tour. Grateful Dead and the Jacksons got the folks dancin’, and even Selena graced these boards for her final fashion show and concert in ‘94.
The Spurs played their last game here in ‘93, fallin’ to a buzzer-beater by Charles Barkley, and two years later, Van Halen brought down the house for the last concert before local graduates had one final hurrah. Now, all you’ll find is an extension of the Convention Center, but if you listen just right, you can sure feel the mighty pulse of triumph, heartbreak, and one heck of a good time. So tip your hat, friend-you’re walkin’ on Texas sporting legend.
