The sight of a group of nuns wearing basketball jerseys over their religious habits while enthusiastically cheering courtside was not something many people expected to see this week.
And yet the Salesian Sisters supporting the San Antonio Spurs may have become one of the most unexpectedly delightful stories doing the rounds on social media.
The sisters’ affection for the Spurs actually dates back decades. During the late 1990s, while working closely with young people at St. John Bosco School, they began following the team partly as a way of entering into the world their students loved so passionately.
And somewhere along the line, the interest clearly became entirely genuine.
Rather than keeping themselves at a distance from the culture surrounding the children in their care, the sisters embraced it wholeheartedly — basketball included. And this is evident if you look at the various videos of the sisters in true fan mode as the Spurs battled the Oklahoma City Thunder in a crucial playoff game.
In the clips we have sisters cheering on from their provincial house, and other clips showing sisters greeting players as they arrived on court, or smiling very enthusiastically on the fan cam. Yet, whether they were at the game, or yelling in front of their television, their enthusiasm is contagious. With the broadest smiles possible, the sisters are proudly wearing Spurs tops over their habits to get into the spirit of the evening.
And then came the wonderfully sweet moment involving Luke Kornet.
Before the game, the self-described lifelong Catholic stopped to receive a blessing from the sisters — though, given Kornet’s towering height, the entire interaction became unintentionally adorable. The NBA player had to bend almost completely in half so the seemingly diminutive sisters could reach him properly.
There was something genuinely sweet about watching a man who already physically towers over almost everyone around him stoop down to receive something intended to help him rise even higher on court.
However, there wasn't too much favoritism! The sisters were also enthusiastically supporting other favorite players, including Dylan Harper, a graduate of Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, and Victor Wembanyama — affectionately known as “Wemby” — whom they praised as an all-star both on and off the court.
The videos have clearly resonated because the sisters throw themselves so completely into the experience. Whether cheering from the stands or shouting encouragement in front of the television, their excitement is impossible not to smile at. And perhaps that warmth becomes even more touching when paired with the players’ own reactions, many of whom appear sincerely delighted by the sisters’ support.
Of course, some comments on social media alluded to the fact that these faith-filled fans created "the ultimate home court advantage," whereas another person dramatically demanded:
"Send!! The!! Nuns!! To!! Every!! Game!!
We somehow think the sisters wouldn't complain!
And seeing these super Spurs fans with their jerseys layered over their religious habits might be one of the loveliest reminders that joy, sport, and faith were never meant to live in separate worlds. Of course, if you don't know the score, there should be no doubt about it: the Spurs went on to win the game 103-82, thanks to the talent of the team, and perhaps a little divine intervention!
