Spurs mascot The Coyote saves day, captures bat
During the first half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, The Coyote, San Antonio Spurs’ mascot, catches a bat.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A bat descended on the court and delayed play after Victor Wembanyama made a 3-pointer two minutes into the San Antonio Spurs’ 113-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
After several unsuccessful tries, The Spurs’ mascot, The Coyote, finally managed to catch the bat with a net. This greatly amused Wembanyama and his Spurs teammate, Jeremy Sochan.
Previously, the Coyote had corralled two bats, in contrast to former Spurs star Manu Ginobili who had swatted another bat to the court using his bare hand in November 2009.
Each time the bat buzzed the court, the Spurs dispersed, with the exception of Sochan who had to be pulled back by Popovich at one point. Others, such as Keldon Johnson, chose to hide.
“Johnson expressed his limits, saying, “I’m aware of my comfort zone. For instance, I’m somewhat afraid of the dark, so dealing with the bat? That’s not really something I’m comfortable with. It frightened me more.”
Over the next two minutes, Wembanyama scored nine points. The French rookie ended up with a total of 23 points and 10 rebounds.
