The San Antonio Spurs have announced that the team will hold its 2005 training camp at the University of the Virgin Islands at the school's St. Thomas campus. The team will hold its annual media day at the Airport Embassy Suites in San Antonio at 11:00 a.m. on October 3 before departing for St. Thomas.
The Spurs will hold their entire training camp on the island with the first practice scheduled for October 4. The team will depart St. Thomas on October 13 and travel directly to Columbia, South Carolina for a preseason game there against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 14.
The team's daily practice schedule will be announced at a later date. All practices will take place at the Sports and Fitness Center located on the University of the Virgin Island's beachside campus. Practice sessions will be closed to both the media and the public.
The Spurs will be the first NBA team to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"This is a very exciting event for everyone in the Virgin Islands," said Peter Sauer, the Athletic Director at the University of the Virgin Islands. "We are thrilled that an NBA team is coming to our community. The fact that it is the San Antonio Spurs makes it even sweeter. For the last 10 years the Spurs have served as the model franchise in the NBA. Not only do they win on the court but they do everything the right way, from their ownership to their basketball staff to their players and front office."
The University of the Virgin Islands is an accredited U.S. college with approximately 2,700 students spread over two campuses, one located on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix, which is where Spurs forward Tim Duncan was born and raised.
"We've always thought about holding training camp in the Virgin Islands," said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. "It certainly is something that is very important to Tim Duncan. But we really think it'll be a great experience for the entire team."
