By Vincent T. Davis, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-05 12:40:25
在圣安东尼奥东区的丹佛高地社区中心（Denver Heights Community Center），马刺队吉祥物“小野狼”穿过人头攒动的体育馆，与大家热情击掌并合影留念。
周四，这位吉祥物并不是社区中心里唯一的明星面孔，该中心的官员、城市领导人以及NBA高管也悉数到场，共同庆祝该设施的翻新项目落成。
此次升级是由阿联酋航空呈现的“NBA关怀行动总决赛遗产项目”（NBA Cares Finals Legacy project）的一部分。NBA基金会和国家篮球运动员协会（NBPA）基金会共同捐赠了5万美元的赠款，以支持该中心的青年发展和项目规划。
该中心位于波特街300号（300 Porter St.），多年来一直是社区的枢纽，为青少年提供发展项目，以及教育和娱乐资源。
翻新内容包括升级中心的体育馆和多功能厅、重新粉刷墙面、升级墙砖、修缮天花板和屋顶、翻新球场木地板、更换全新的记分牌和篮板，以及升级技术和游戏设备。
周四下午，200多人挤满了该中心的体育馆——馆内墙壁装饰着马刺队经典的“嘉年华”（Fiesta）配色：粉色、绿松石色和橙色——共同庆祝这一翻新项目。
马刺电视解说员雅各布·托比 (Jacob Tobey) 在活动中介绍了马刺球员、NBA官员和当地政要。此时，马刺队正在总决赛中与纽约尼克斯队展开对决。
当马刺队球员哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes)、大卫·琼斯·加西亚 (David Jones Garcia)、林迪·沃特斯三世 (Lindy Waters III)、梅森·普拉姆利 (Mason Plumlee) 和俾斯麦·比永博 (Bismack Biyombo) 陆续步入体育馆时，现场爆发出了热烈的欢呼声。
紧随球员入场的是NBA总裁亚当·肖华 (Adam Silver) 以及马刺体育娱乐公司首席执行官R.C. 布福德 (R.C. Buford)，现场掌声经久不息。
“这是一个很简单的问题，”托比向人群问道，“现场有马刺球迷吗？”
现场人群爆发出雷鸣般的齐声回答：“有！”
NBA总裁肖华表示，让马刺队如此特别的不仅是他们赢得过五次NBA总冠军，更是该组织回馈圣安东尼奥社区的方式。他说，他今天最想对话的群体是现场的年轻人。
“我们今天来到这里的目的，是鼓励你们去使用这个设施，”肖华说，“充分利用这里的领导者、教练和导师。这一切都是为了你们。”
布福德鼓励孩子们学习坚韧与尊重，并努力建立自信。
“丹佛高地社区在我们的城市中拥有悠久的历史和独特的底蕴，”布福德说，“我们将鼓励你们带领丹佛高地社区共同向上，并带着对未来的自豪感前行。”
托比现场收集了孩子们的提问。一个小女孩问球员们：“你们会对自己小时候说什么？”
“我会说，享受当个孩子的过程，”普拉姆利说，“去尝试一门乐器，去尝试一项运动，享受学校生活，因为随着你慢慢长大，你就不可能什么都去尝试了。”
巴恩斯表示，NBA总决赛在圣安东尼奥举行显得非常合适。巴恩斯因其在人道主义方面的努力，被联盟评为2026年NBA社会正义冠军奖（NBA Social Justice Champion Award）的五位最终候选人之一。
去年11月，巴恩斯来到新布朗费尔斯街和休斯敦街交汇处的H-E-B超市，为顾客买单并派发了200美元的礼品卡。今年1月，巴恩斯和妻子布里特妮 (Brittany) 向马丁·路德·金委员会（MLK Commission）奖学金项目捐赠了5万美元。为了纪念黑人历史月，这对夫妇还承诺向当地10家非营利组织捐赠15万美元。
圣安东尼奥公园与娱乐部部长霍默·加西亚三世 (Homer Garcia III) 表示，该翻新项目展示了当一个社区为了同一个目标团结一致时所能释放的力量。
仪式结束后，孩子们参加了一场篮球训练营。随后，他们参观了中心翻新后的区域，并与嘉宾及马刺队球员一起进行了科技互动体验。
但在后续活动开始之前，托比还有最后一项任务要完成：带领全场观众齐声高喊“Go Spurs Go！”
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Spurs, NBA team up to help spruce up East Side community center
Spurs, NBA team up to help spruce up East Side community center
The San Antonio Spurs’ Coyote mascot slapped high-fives and posed for photos as he made his way across a packed gymnasium at the Denver Heights Community Center on San Antonio’s East Side.
The mascot wasn’t the only famous face at the community center Thursday, as center officials, city leaders and NBA executives were on hand to celebrate a renovation project for the facility.
The upgrades are part of the NBA Cares Finals Legacy project presented by Emirates. The NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Players Association Foundation contributed a $50,000 grant in support of youth development and programming at the center.
The center, at 300 Porter St., has for years served as a hub for the community and offered development programs for youngsters, along with educational resources and recreational resources.
Renovations included updates to the center’s gym and multipurpose room, fresh paint, wall tile upgrades, ceiling and roof repairs, refurbished court flooring, a new scoreboard and backboards and upgraded technology and gaming equipment.
On Thursday afternoon, more than 200 people packed into the center’s gym — its walls lined with Spurs Fiesta colors of pink, turquoise and orange — to celebrate the renovation project.
Jacob Tobey, the Spurs television play-by-play announcer, introduced Spurs players, NBA officials and local dignitaries at the event, which was held as the Spurs are taking on the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Cheers rang out as Spurs players Harrison Barnes, David Jones Garcia, Lindy Waters III, Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo filed into the gym.
The applause continued as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Spurs Sports and Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford followed the players.
“This is an easy question,” Tobey asked the crowd. “Are there any Spurs fans in the building?”
The crowd erupted in a loud collective “yes!”
Silver, the NBA commissioner, said what makes the Spurs so special isn’t just winning five NBA championships, but how the organization gives back to the San Antonio community. He said the group he was most interested in addressing were the young people at the event.
“The reason we’re here today is to encourage you to use this facility,” Silver said. “Take advantage of the leaders, the coaches and mentors here. This is about you.”
Buford encouraged the youngsters to learn resilience and respect and to work on gaining confidence.
“This Denver Heights community has a long history and identity in our community,” Buford said. “We going to encourage you to lift that Denver Heights community upward and carry away with you pride for your future."
Tobey took questions from the youngsters. A young girl asked the players: ‘What would they tell their younger selves?’ ”
“I would say enjoy being a kid,” Plumlee said. “Try an instrument, try a sport, enjoy school, because as you get older you don’t get to try everything.”
Barnes said it seemed fitting that the NBA Finals were being held in San Antonio. The league has recognized Barnes for his humanitarian efforts as one of five finalists for the 2026 NBA Social Justice Champion Award.
In November, Barnes stopped at the H-E-B store at New Braunfels and Houston streets where he paid for customers’ groceries and passed out $200 gift cards. In January, Barnes and his wife Brittany donated $50,000 to the MLK Commission scholarship program. In honor of Black History Month, the couple pledged $150,000 to 10 area nonprofits.
Homer Garcia III, director of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, said the renovation project was an example of what a community can do when it comes together with a single purpose in mind.
After the ceremony ended, the youngsters took part in a basketball clinic. Then they toured the center’s renovated spaces, engaging in hands-on technology with guests and Spurs players.
But before the post-program activities began, Tobey had one last item to attend to: Leading the crowd in a chant of “Go Spurs Go!”
By Vincent T. Davis, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News