A controversial comment- that’s all it took to rock the San Antonio Spurs’ celebratory atmosphere. A lady present at Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns came up with a disparaging message against the Hispanic fans at the venue. However, Spurs star De’Aaron Fox didn’t hold back from condemning the act.

After winning against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Fox spoke to insider Jared Weiss and said, “My high school was 60% Hispanic. I’m from Texas. Like, what do you expect? It’s like going to Boston and complaining that there are a bunch of White people. What kind of sense is that? That makes zero sense,” Fox added. “I’m from Houston, man. I think that’s the most diverse city in the country. My kids are a quarter Mexican, so they’re gonna be used to it.”

The city of San Antonio was shaken after TikTok user @inluvwganineee posted a video from Thursday’s game captioned, “A lot of crazy Hispanic fans.” To this, an older woman responded by saying, “All Hispanic! How can they afford it?”

According to US census data, Hispanics and Latinos make up the majority of the population in San Antonio. The two communities collectively hold 64.6% of the city’s population. Following the incident, the Spurs have immediately dropped a statement expressing their zero-tolerance policy against racism.

The San Antonio Spurs released a stern statement against racism

Following the incident, the San Antonio Spurs released a statement on Friday saying, “All of us in the Spurs organization are proud to live in San Antonio, a city that shines and thrives because of the culture and contributions of our Latino community. Inclusion is a foundation for the San Antonio Spurs. We strive to provide an environment, in our facilities and across our community, that celebrates belonging and respect regardless of race or ethnicity. Por Vida.”

The final two words in the statement are a testament to the organization and the city’s identity. Por Vida is the Spurs’ official slogan, which in Spanish stands for “For Life.” It is their official slogan and is used everywhere across their social media handles and also for official promotions.

San Antonio has always had Hispanic and Latino influence for decades. Out of all the major cities in Texas, San Antonio is closest to Mexico, which means a lot of people commute to and from for work. The city also celebrates an 11-day extravaganza named Fiesta San Antonio to celebrate the mix of cultures.

After the incident happened on Thursday, famous author Shea Serrano, who is based out of San Antonio and a big Spurs fan, posted on X about changing his name to ‘Crazy Hispanic Fan.’ Following his cue, several fans entered the Frost Bank Center on Saturday with a custom-made t-shirt which read ‘Crazy Hispanic Fan.’ As the Spurs ran riot over the Pacers, the fans sported their t-shirt and their identity with pride.

Overall, the Spurs are enjoying their best form in nearly a decade. They are sitting at No. 2 in the Western Conference with a 53-18 record. They have returned to the playoffs after the 2018-19 season with Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox leading the franchise to greater heights. Just like the entire city of San Antonio came together in the past 24 hours to stand against racism and in support of their Hispanic community, the Spurs under head coach Mitch Johnson also adopted the same philosophy of covering for one another on the court.