SAN ANTONIO – While San Antonio Spurs fans across the city celebrate the team’s return to the NBA Finals, thousands of miles away in South Korea, a dedicated community of supporters are doing the same.
The group is called the Korean Jackals, a fan community built around a shared passion for the Spurs despite a 14-hour time difference and an ocean separating them from San Antonio.
Two members of the group, Dongwook Kwon and Taesung Kwon, spoke — with the help of their friend, and translator, Tami Kang — about how the Spurs’ international reach continues to inspire fans far beyond Texas
Taesung Kwon said his journey as a Spurs fan began more than a decade ago during the 2012-2013 season.
He regularly watched game highlights and was drawn to the team’s defensive style and unselfish ball movement.
At the time, his favorite player was Spurs legend Tony Parker.
As players came and went, his loyalty to the franchise never wavered. Today, his favorite Spur isn’t the team’s biggest star.
“Wemby is too obvious,” Taesung Kwon said. “K.J. — Keldon Johnson.”
The Spurs’ playoff run has brought excitement and emotion to fans around the world. Dongwook Kwon said one of the most memorable moments came during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I was so nervous, so nervous,” Dongwook Kwon said. “And when the Spurs won Game 7, I cried.”
Like many international NBA fans, members of the Korean Jackals often sacrifice sleep to follow their team. Spurs games that tip off in the evening in San Antonio are frequently broadcast early the next morning in South Korea.
Despite the long hours and early alarms, the group remains committed to supporting the Silver and Black.
As the Spurs Race For Seis, the Korean Jackals will be watching from afar — coffee in hand, sleep-deprived, but energized — proving that Spurs fandom extends well beyond South Texas.
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