Courtesy of Trinity University SGA

Trinity University held its annual Tiger’s Night Out on Friday, Jan. 20, where Trinity students could get free or discounted tickets from SGA to see the Portland Trail Blazers face the Spurs. It was an eventful night for Trinity, including an early VIP courtside view of warm-ups, Trinity’s choir performing the national anthem, some ridiculous Victor Wembanyama action and the ninth Spurs win of the season. I also got a special look behind the scenes at how the Spurs’ Hype Squad entertains the crowd every home game, as I got to help out in an interesting way.
The game was set to start at 8:30 p.m. Still, Trinity students crowded the lines at the East Entrance of the Frost Bank Center as early as 6:15. When the doors opened at 6:30, students took full advantage of the special courtside experience opportunity provided by SGA. The first 13 rows were filled with eager fans hoping to glimpse first-overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama up close.
While Wemby did not make his way onto the court for warm-ups in time for me to see just how tall seven feet four inches is, it was interesting to catch a glimpse of some of the players’ pre-game routines.
Even avid fans would be surprised at just how clinical NBA players are at shooting. Players who didn’t even get game time were draining 3-pointer after 3-pointer. On the other hand, unlike high school and college athletics, there was very little jogging, stretching or organized team drills during this portion of early warm-ups.
After warm-ups were complete and the teams were ready to start, our very own Trinity University choir got the crowd going with a spectacular national anthem performance. After the choir received their ovation, the two teams got set to tip off. Neither team is poised to make a playoff push, but when the number-one draft pick faces off against the number-three draft pick, it’s an important game for players to prove they are the right person for the job and for general managers to show they made the right pick.
Despite a shaky start for the Spurs, Wembanyama displayed tremendous athleticism, including one block that went almost as viral as I did.
The Spurs’ behind-the-scenes team put on a fantastic show, as they always do, with multiple Hype Squad performances, competitions and opportunities for free stuff (even if the Trinity seats were too high up for the T-shirt cannon). I was lucky enough to be chosen in pre-game to participate in a challenge set for the end of the 3rd quarter. After being collected by a Hype Squad team member at halftime, I was ushered backstage. It was organized chaos down there as the staff worked like a well-oiled machine to read schedules and make their way all over the arena to fulfill their various obligations. A Hype Squad member would be in the space for a few minutes and then gone and then back to grab some trinkets to hand out before disappearing again.
After missing the entire third quarter under the bleachers in awe of the behind-the-scenes work, I was led back into the stands and sat down by a cameraman. As I sat nervously waiting, I listened to staff rehearse their lines and communicate a game plan. It’s an element of sporting events that many never think about, but going behind the scenes and watching the process up close showed me that even the small pieces of these big events take a lot of time and practice.
As for me, well, I’m a Trinitonian sports reporter, so I have to know my stuff. Naming all 32 NFL teams in 24 seconds is just part of the job — even if the scoreboard guy couldn’t keep up with me going division by division. The coolest part of it all, though, is that former 49ers wide receiver and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens commented that I was “locked in” on the Bleacher Report video.
While I was backstage, Wembanyama and the Spurs built upon their five-point half time lead, getting up to a 13-point lead at one point and coming out of the third quarter with a strong 88-78 advantage. The Trail Blazers never really got back into the game as the Spurs only increased their advantage on their way to a 16-point win, their ninth win of the season. In a game showcasing two high-end rookies, it was second-year man Jeremy Sochan who led the way with a 31-point and 14-rebound double-double. The Spurs victory gave Trinity yet another major win for the night, adding the cherry on top to a successful event put on by SGA.