The San Antonio Spurs tip off their season tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center, and it is anything but an ordinary opener. This is a direct rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, a seven-game battle San Antonio won last spring before advancing to the NBA Finals. Tipoff is set for 8:30 pm.
The matchup carries extra weight because of who is on the floor. According to Last Word On Basketball, San Antonio enters the new campaign fresh off a 62-20 regular season a year ago, setting up this rivalry renewal as one of the league's marquee opening-night games. Last Word On Basketball listed Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among its expected starters, while The Big Lead said both were expected to play. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points and a league-leading 3.08 blocks per game last season, a stat line that helps explain why Oklahoma City will need a plan for him again.
San Antonio will have to adjust its approach, however. Head coach Mitch Johnson ruled out newly signed veteran forward Tobias Harris for tonight's game because of a left calf strain, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Harris signed a two-year, $31 million contract this offseason to bolster the frontcourt, but with him sidelined, Johnson is instead starting a three-guard lineup of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.
A Nostalgic Return to the Sidelines
Opening night also brings back a piece of Spurs history. The Silver Dancers returned to the court alongside the Spurs Hype Squad, the Express-News reports.
Fans attending in person will also notice a refreshed concession lineup. Frost Bank Center kept its budget-friendly Spurs Steals menu for the new season, including $3.09 hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and sodas alongside $5.75 draft beer, while adding premium newcomers like chimichurri steak sandwiches and an Alamo City cocktail, the Express-News notes. The arena also features 12 local participating restaurants through the Spurs Culinary Residency Program, which highlights minority-owned restaurants. Ticket purchasers for tonight's game receive an exclusive shirt, according to WOAI, whose San Antonio Living segment previewed the opener on-site at Frost Bank Center.
New Parking System and Arena Upgrades
Getting to and from the arena looks different this year, too. Frost Bank Center rolled out a new color-coded parking lot system for the 2026-27 season, using digital passes matched to assigned lot colors and establishing color-specific routes for post-game traffic, a change Hoodline previously detailed ahead of other recent arena events.
San Antonio also invested in its premium spaces ahead of the season, expanding the Ledger Courtside Club and Owner's Suite with additional bar space, dining areas, and enlarged seating, according to the team.
A Coaching Era Still Taking Shape
Tonight's opener is also an early test for Johnson, who is entering his second full season as head coach after taking over in May 2025 from hall-of-fame coach Gregg Popovich. Popovich stepped down following a stroke to become president of basketball operations full-time, a transition Hoodline covered in its piece on Popovich's record-setting Spurs career. Johnson served as interim head coach during Popovich's medical leave.
Off the court, the franchise remains in a longer-term conversation about its future home. The Frost Bank Center site has been discussed for redevelopment as the Spurs are expected to move downtown.
The Spurs offer $25 tickets, according to the Express-News.
