Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Thursday, August 22, 2024: Longtime Spurs Play-By-Play Announcer Bill Land Retires After 21 Years

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.

Matt Guzman

San Antonio Spurs play-by-play announcer Bill Land spent 21 seasons alongside Sean Elliott calling Spurs games.
San Antonio Spurs play-by-play announcer Bill Land spent 21 seasons alongside Sean Elliott calling Spurs games. / Photo provided by the San Antonio Spurs
In this story:

Happy Thursday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your morning Spurs Starter.

Yesterday, the voice of the San Antonio Spurs finally hung up the headset. After 21 seasons alongside Sean Elliott calling Spurs games with his iconic voice, Land will head to retirement with a plethora of awards, but perhaps more importantly, memories.

“Bill has been a core member of the Spurs family, not only for us but for the fans who listen to him each season,” Spurs Sports & Entertainment's Senior Director of Broadcasting Mike Kickirillo said. “His iconic voice and character have cemented him in history among our beloved Spurs legends.

"We’ll be forever grateful to him for bringing over 20 years of dedication to our team and fans."

Former San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson sit alongside Bill Land prior to a broadcast.
Former San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson sit alongside Bill Land prior to a broadcast. / Photo provided by the San Antonio Spurs

Amid a cancer diagnosis last year, Land plans to retire with his family in San Antonio, where he will continue to keep track of the Spurs as they continue their hopeful ascent in the Western Conference.

While calling plays, Land was inducted into the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Hall of Fame in 2021 and received a Lone Star Sports Emmy for his work on the Spurs' return to action during the pandemic in 2020. His awards speak for themselves, but so did his voice.

READ MORE: Behind Tre Jones' Mission of Advocacy in Mom's Honor

Fans may not get to hear his "Oh Mama!" calls for games moving forward, but his impact on the team was certainly palpable. And for that, he's thankful.

“I feel truly blessed to have had a dream job with the best production crew in the league and the best analyst in the NBA, Sean Elliott." Land said. "As I move into the fourth quarter of my life, I want to thank everyone, especially Spurs fans, for their incredible support over the years."

The Spurs will honor Land during their home opener against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 26.

Now, here are the headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: SPURS FOCUSED ON FINDING BALANCE IN AUSTIN MARKET EXPANSION

The San Antonio Spurs have placed intentionality at the forefront of their expansion into the Austin market since beginning their now-annual "I-35 Series". This year, an added novelty means that balance is set to join it.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: SPURS' SCHEDULE REVEALED ON 'THE JOE GAITHER SHOW'

This week's edition of "The Joe Gaither Show" features Matt Guzman and Joe Gaither wrapping up the Olympics, the Spurs' 2024-25 schedule and this year's NBA Cup.

Watch the full episode below:

THE DRAFT

Now that the 2024 NBA Draft is over, you can check out the newest Spurs and what they might bring to the team next season and down the road. Below are the some stories about the rookies selected:

Round 1, Pick No. 4: Stephon Castle

Round 2, Pick No. 36: Juan Núñez

Round 2, Pick No. 48: Harrison Ingram

THE SCHEDULE

There are 61 days until opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, but the San Antonio Spurs have more to look forward to prior to that. The regular season schedule will be released at 2 p.m. Central, but the entire preseason schedule, the NBA Cup slate and the Christmas Day schedule has.

Below is a list of dates and start times (all in CST) for all relevant Spurs games:

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

Oct. 7: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Tipoff 7 p.m.)
Oct. 9: Home vs. Orlando Magic (Tipoff 7 p.m.)
Oct. 12: Home vs. Utah Jazz (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

Oct. 15: Away at Miami Heat (Tipoff 6:30 p.m.)
Oct. 17: Away at Houston Rockets (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Oct. 24: Season Opener at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 26: Home opener vs. Houston Rockets

Nov. 15: Group Play Begins vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Dec. 10: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Begin
Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

AROUND THE NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

Also, be sure to follow along with Spurs On SI's NBA tracker, with more detailed breakdowns of major league news and updates.

THE CLOSER

Check out our homepage for more news and follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Thursday.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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