Facing a 3-1 series hole against the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, San Antonio Spurs fans are showing defint loyalty ahead of Game 5 on Saturday night at a sold-out Frost Bank Center, according to the report. The team squandered a 29-point lead in Game 4, losing 107-106, and now only a historic comeback can prevent New York from clinching the championship.

The $1,500 Upper Deck: When Loyalty Meets the Market

While many Spurs fans swear by the team's “Por Vida” (For Life) motto, some have sold their tickets on the secondary market, as the source reports. upper-section seats for Game 5 are listed at over $1,500, and lower-bowl seats have reached $5,000 or more. Rick Vela, the superfan known as the“Masked Bandido Of San Antonio,” voiced mixed feelings: “Of course it bothers me that Spurs fans are selling their tickets,but if they can't afford them, there's nothing that can be done.” Another fan, Fox, acknowledged the economic reality, saying, “There are people making money. It's the economy we live in.”

A 29-Point Collapse and the Echoes of 1979

San Antonio's recent Game 4 meltdown—blowing a 29-point lead to lose by one—has a precedent in Spurs history, the report notes. Fans still reecall the agony of losing a 3-1 lead to the Washington Bullets in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals, as well as Derek Fisher's 0.4-second game-winner in the 2004 Western Conference semifinals. Raylyn Boyson, a member of the Spurs superfan group The Jackals, remains optimistic: “All year these guys have proven everyone wrong. There's no reason not to keep believing.”

San Antonio's Only Show in Town

The Spurs are the city's sole major professional sports team—no Yankees, Mets, Rangers, or other franchises to divide attention, as the source emphasizes. Rene Gonzalez, who flies a Spurs flag from his truck, said, “They're still there for us.. They still unite this community.” This singularity amplifies the weight of the“Por Vida” commitment, which spans generations from George Gervin and David Robinson to Tim Duncan and now Victor Wembanyama.

Who Has the Tickets—And Will the Crowd Be Hostile?

Thousands of Knicks fans are expected to invade San Antonio for Game 5, according to the report, but the exact number of Spurs fans who sold tickets remains unclear. If a sizable portion of the arena is clad in blue and orange, the home-court advantage the Frost Bank Center typically provides could be diluted.. The question is whether Spurs supporters who kept their seats can raise enough noise to drown out the visiting faithful—or whether the economic lure of four- and five-figure payouts will reshape the atmosphere.