More than 200 San Antonio Spurs fans in South Korea gather in a KakaoTalk chat group to track every clutch play across a 15-hour time difference. Spurs Korea, a fan club spread throughout the country, meets every three months to discuss games and plans watch parties during the playoffs despite the challenges posed by the time zone gap.
Tami Kang, who lives in San Antonio and acts as a bridge between the club and the team’s home city, spoke with MySA about the group. Kang moved to San Antonio in 2003 and became a Spurs fan the following year. She grew up attending games regularly with family and credits basketball for helping her learn English. “I didn’t know who any of those players were, but I think that’s what made San Antonio home for me,” she said.
In South Korea, Taesung Gwan and Hyeongjin Park manage the club’s activities. Gwan lives in Daegu, in the southern part of the country, and said the group has over 200 members actively chatting about Spurs games on KakaoTalk. Park, based in Seoul, the capital with nearly 10 million residents, handles merchandise and other fan goods. The club hopes to organise a watch party during the NBA playoffs, though Seoul’s 15-hour lead on San Antonio makes live viewing difficult.
Park has followed the NBA for about a decade and became a Spurs fan after watching Victor Wembanyama in an All-Star game. His favourite player is Devin Vassell. “We’re watching from far away, from Korea, pretty much alone in the morning, but we’re chatting in a room with 200 people,” Park said. Attending a Spurs game in San Antonio remains on his bucket list, where he wants to bring the merch he creates and cheer loudly alongside fellow fans.
Gwan traces his fandom back to 2012 and 2013, when he saw “a future in the Spurs.” He described the club’s reaction when the Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals last season as “a festival” in their group chat. He hopes the team can finally win the NBA Finals, referring to the championship race as the “race for seis.”
The NBA’s popularity in South Korea dates back to the era of Michael Jordan, a trend that Spurs fan Taro Kotani in Tokyo also connected with. Kotani credits players like Jordan and Magic Johnson for sparking his interest, while Spurs legend David Robinson drew him into supporting the team. The Spurs’ international appeal has clearly reached far beyond Texas, fostering communities thousands of miles away.
Kang, who is vice president of the Korean American Association of San Antonio, keeps Spurs Korea updated on local happenings, acting as a conduit for information between San Antonio and the fan club. She said the group chats regularly about the team’s progress and shares excitement over key moments.
The Spurs Korea fan club is a rare example of how sports fandom can create a sense of community across continents and time zones. Members scattered across South Korea manage to connect virtually, sharing the ups and downs of the NBA season in real time despite the challenges of distance.
According to Yahoo Sports.
