A coyote, the San Antonio Spurs' mascot, made a dramatic capture of a bat that disrupted Saturday night's game between the Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Associated Press reported.
The bats caused a nuisance from the start of the game at Frostbank Center, right after Victor Wembaneyama sank a 3-pointer two minutes into the first quarter. Associated Press reported.
The Coyotes had two bagged bats by Saturday night, according to the Associated Press, but the winged intruder chased him all over the court to the amusement of Wenbanyama and teammate Jeremy Sochan. It is said that they were able to catch it with a large net. (Related: College basketball game delayed significantly after bats invade and start attacking players)
Apparently bats regularly appear at Spurs games, which is why the mascot wears a Batman costume I love basketball https://t.co/YfHn7bMXR7
— Cowboy Parmesan Cheese (@corgipasta) January 28, 2024
Although most of the Spurs ran to cover every time the bat went down, Sochan bravely put himself forward before head coach Gregg Popovich pulled him back, the paper reported.
“I got it! I got it!” Timberwolves anchor Michael Grady excitedly announced after the Coyotes' bat.
in famous places bat incident From 2009, former Spurs star Manu Ginobili slammed another winged creature to the floor with his bare hands, according to the Associated Press.
Current Spurs players are not so brave, with many trying to hide as bats flew around the court, the Associated Press reported.
“I know my lane,” Spurs guard Keldon Johnson said. “Well, I'm extremely scared of the dark… and bats? It's like, no, that's not really up my alley. It was scarier.”
The winged interloper not only stopped play during the famous Ginobili incident, but also delayed the Spurs one game in 2011 and three games in 2019. The Athletic report.
538 Investigating the roots of the bat incident at the Frostbank Center, the arena is “40 miles southwest of Bracken Cave, home to more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats, making it the world's largest summer bat colony.” He concluded.
After having his bat taken away Saturday night, Wenbanyama scored nine points in the next two minutes and finished the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs won 113-112, the Associated Press reported.
