{"id":1971689,"date":"2026-06-04T09:15:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T06:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1971689"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:15:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T06:15:59","slug":"meet-the-spurs-nuns-inside-the-basketball-loving-world-of-the-salesian-sisters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1971689","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Spurs nuns: Inside the basketball-loving world of the Salesian Sisters"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Sisters stood inside the tunnel, waiting for the Spurs players to emerge from the locker room. They looked up in awe, as 7-foot-4 San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama began to walk toward them.<\/p>\n

It was a crucial Game 6 at home, a chance to even the series and force a Game 7 \u2014 and yet, Wembanyama didn\u2019t rush out to go warm up. He walked slowly toward the women, the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, West Province, known formally as the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. They\u2019re arguably the most visible Spurs fans of the team\u2019s playoff run, having gone viral for praying over players and cheering on San Antonio courtside.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Wembanyama didn\u2019t give a quick wave or nod, or shout a kind word or two as he passed through the tunnel. Instead, he took his time to shake hands with all nine Sisters, pausing and cupping his large hands over theirs, a beat longer than any of them expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way, he was saying, \u2018Thank you,\u2019\u201d Sister Bernadette Mota said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t say \u2018Thank you\u2019 out loud, but he grabbed our hands. \u2026 You could see the focus in his eyes, and also his sense of gratitude for the prayers that we were giving the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout saying a word, he said a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

These Sisters don\u2019t just love basketball; they love these Spurs. They check the team\u2019s scores regularly. They love the work ethic and core values of the organization, including its \u201cloyalty,\u201d Mota said. \u201cAnd unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are great values and virtues for society today because there\u2019s a lot of division in our world out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sisters have become celebrities during the Spurs\u2019 playoff run. Unlike the New York Knicks, who have a star-studded roster of A-listers courtside, such as Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, Chuck D and Ben Stiller, the Spurs take pride in their Sisters as perhaps the organization\u2019s most famous fans. They don\u2019t have a specific Spurs prayer, other than: \u201cWe pray that they can play well, show a lot of virtue, and be good leaders for our society,\u201d Mota said.<\/p>\n

The Sisters aren\u2019t just watching, though; they can hoop, too. Once in a while, they play pick up outside with each other, but mostly they play with the young people they serve. Some Sisters have basketball backgrounds, such as Mota, who played in high school. She\u2019s a 5-foot-1 firecracker. She has handles and can shoot from deep. \u201cI have a lot of endurance, so I don\u2019t get tired at the end of the game,\u201d she said, thanks to lettering in cross country and track for two years during college. She even coached high-school basketball before devoting herself to the convent in 2005 at age 25.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Then there\u2019s her much taller teammate, Sister Sydney Moss, who often wears a Wembanyama jersey. She can shoot. \u201cShe\u2019s our center,\u201d Mota said. \u201cShe can\u2019t run as fast but she can sure move inside. My job is to get her the ball.\u201d Other Sisters have played in high school or junior high. One of the novice Sisters was a collegiate volleyball player.<\/p>\n

All of them share one really important skill, Mota said: \u201cWe\u2019re just good at cheerleading.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

a.showcase-link-container {
\n display: flex;
\n gap: 20px;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n align-items: center;
\n padding: 20px 0px;
\n border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n text-decoration: none;
\n color: #121212;
\n cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n

.showcase-link {
\n font-family: nyt-franklin;
\n font-size: 14px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 700;
\n line-height: 13.8px;
\n letter-spacing: 1.1px;
\n text-transform: uppercase;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-image {
\n border-radius: 8px;
\n object-fit: cover;
\n width: 200px;
\n height: 150px;
\n margin: 0px;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n width: 120px;
\n height: 120px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inner-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: row;
\n gap: 16px;
\n width: 100%;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-text-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n gap: 20px;
\n justify-content: center;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n gap: 8px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-title {
\n font-family: nyt-cheltenham;
\n font-size: 24px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 500;
\n line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/
\n letter-spacing: 0.01px;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 3;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 16px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-excerpt {
\n font-family: nyt-imperial;
\n font-size: 16px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 400;
\n line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/
\n color: #323232;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 4;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 12px;
\n line-height: 121%;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inputs {
\n .showcase-link-input {
\n width: 100%;
\n font-size: 1rem;
\n background-color: white;
\n margin-bottom: 12px;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-indent {
\n margin-left: 25px;
\n }<\/p>\n

option {
\n width: 100%;
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
\n .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {
\n background-color: #121212;
\n color: #f0f0ee;
\n .showcase-link-excerpt {
\n color: #c4c4c0;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

\/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click
\n document.querySelectorAll(‘.showcase-link-image’).forEach((img) => img.removeAttribute(‘onclick’));<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"Knicks-Spurs<\/p>\n
\n
\n Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals mega-preview: Predictions, odds, must-reads and more\n <\/div>\n
\n Here is everything you need to know about this 1999 finals rematch between the NBA’s largest market and its fifth-smallest.\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Sisters\u2019 fandom goes back nearly two decades, as a few of the elder Sisters, who now live in the St. Bosco retirement community, would never miss a Spurs game. \u201cThey would actually get a little bit irritated when we\u2019d have to turn the TV off at nighttime because we can\u2019t stay up to watch all the games because they go quite late, and, convent hours, you know, you\u2019ve got to go to bed earlier and wake up early for prayers,\u201d said Mota, who has a Manu Gin\u00f3bili jersey hanging in her office.<\/p>\n

One elder Sister, who has since died, often wrote to former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. He not only responded to the letters, but also visited the Sisters at the convent with his late wife. They felt a special kinship with him.<\/p>\n

The relationship continued over the years, quietly but meaningfully. When Mota arrived in 2019 to be the Director of Mission Advancement for their province, she had been looking to strengthen ties in the community. She found Popovich\u2019s assistant\u2019s number in the St. Bosco database and reached out to ask for Spurs tickets. \u201cThey graciously gave us 30 tickets, so we can bring Sisters and our employees to the game,\u201d Mota said. \u201cWe\u2019re on the west side of San Antonio, so we\u2019re in a very poor area. So, to bring our employees who are earning minimum wage would have been a great gift for the employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n The Sisters greet a young fan at a Spurs game. They are recognized like celebrities. (Photo courtesy of Sister Bernadette Mota)<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The game was canceled because of the pandemic, and the NBA shut down the remainder of the season. Mota has kept the tickets, storing them in a drawer in her office. It is a reminder of the power of kindness and connection, values that have bonded her and her Sisters with this year\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In Mota\u2019s office is a modest cart where she stores the Sisters\u2019 Spurs jerseys that they wear to the game (all their Spurs jerseys and shirts are via donation; they\u2019ve never purchased one). She wears a Tim Duncan jersey, a nod to one of her favorite all-time players. One elder Sister, who is a Spurs fan and came to all the watch parties this season, is 93. And her actual sister \u2014 also a Spurs fan \u2014 is currently in hospice care. She doesn\u2019t always remember things clearly. But when Mota brought her a small Spurs doll, she lit up with excitement. \u201cSpurs!!!!\u201d she said, beaming. Mota asked if she wanted her to put the doll on the shelf, but the Sister refused. \u201cI\u2019m going to keep it here,\u201d she said. A good luck charm, perhaps.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Sisters, who receive the tickets as gifts (including four seats for the NBA Finals from a car dealership), are recognized not just on social media, but also all over San Antonio. Mota can\u2019t go anywhere in the city without being recognized. She and some of the other Sisters were asked for a selfie in the bathroom at a recent Spurs playoff game. Before the Sisters became an internet sensation, she would occasionally be recognized in the San Antonio community by locals who knew her, who might ask her to pray for a sick parent right then and there in a grocery store, for example. But now she has thousands of fans online asking for the Sisters to pray for a Spurs victory.<\/p>\n

Mota laughs, acknowledging that there is no special prayer. \u201cWe don\u2019t have a Spurs routine\u201d on a game day, either, she said. She and her Sisters live a regimented lifestyle, beginning at chapel at 6:30 a.m. whether the Spurs win or lose the night before. There is a half hour of prayer and meditation. Then Mass. Then Liturgy of the Hours. Then breakfast as a group. Then doing ministry for the day, and a midday Blessed Sacrament of prayer, before lunch as a group. Finally, rosary in the evening, spiritual reading and, finally, evening prayers.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n The Sisters\u2019 relationship with the Spurs and former coach Gregg Popovich goes back almost two decades. (Photo courtesy of Sister Bernadette Mota)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

And, if the Spurs are playing, hopefully the night ends with a W.<\/p>\n

They hope to inspire young people. \u201cThat\u2019s the reason why we\u2019re into sports,\u201d Mota said. \u201cTo really be able to engage the young people where they\u2019re at, you have to love what they love.\u201d It is a principle originating from their founder, St. John Bosco. The Sisters feel that sports are an ideal way to reach young people and to get to know them and help them in their faith journey.<\/p>\n

\n

a.showcase-link-container {
\n display: flex;
\n gap: 20px;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n align-items: center;
\n padding: 20px 0px;
\n border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n text-decoration: none;
\n color: #121212;
\n cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n

.showcase-link {
\n font-family: nyt-franklin;
\n font-size: 14px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 700;
\n line-height: 13.8px;
\n letter-spacing: 1.1px;
\n text-transform: uppercase;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-image {
\n border-radius: 8px;
\n object-fit: cover;
\n width: 200px;
\n height: 150px;
\n margin: 0px;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n width: 120px;
\n height: 120px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inner-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: row;
\n gap: 16px;
\n width: 100%;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-text-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n gap: 20px;
\n justify-content: center;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n gap: 8px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-title {
\n font-family: nyt-cheltenham;
\n font-size: 24px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 500;
\n line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/
\n letter-spacing: 0.01px;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 3;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 16px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-excerpt {
\n font-family: nyt-imperial;
\n font-size: 16px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 400;
\n line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/
\n color: #323232;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 4;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 12px;
\n line-height: 121%;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inputs {
\n .showcase-link-input {
\n width: 100%;
\n font-size: 1rem;
\n background-color: white;
\n margin-bottom: 12px;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-indent {
\n margin-left: 25px;
\n }<\/p>\n

option {
\n width: 100%;
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
\n .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {
\n background-color: #121212;
\n color: #f0f0ee;
\n .showcase-link-excerpt {
\n color: #c4c4c0;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

\/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click
\n document.querySelectorAll(‘.showcase-link-image’).forEach((img) => img.removeAttribute(‘onclick’));<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"The<\/p>\n
\n
\n The Knicks can win the NBA Finals, but I still like the Spurs \u2026 barely\n <\/div>\n
\n In the NBA Finals, the Knicks present different problems for the Spurs than the OKC did. Can Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio solve them?\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The nuns\u2019 fame wasn\u2019t expected, let alone planned. They hadn\u2019t even known they were going to get courtside tickets. \u201cNone of that was staged or posed,\u201d Mota said.<\/p>\n

Neither was her pregame blessing of reserve Spurs center Luke Kornet, who is a devout Catholic and open about his values. Mota didn\u2019t realize there were cameras around. She and the Sisters were just watching him warm up, and after he finished his pregame shooting, he came over and shook their hands. Mota then asked him: \u201cCan I pray a blessing over you?\u201d Kornet, the 7-foot-1 backup to Wembanyama, bowed. \u201cHe really had to bow down because I\u2019m only 5-1,\u201d Mota said, laughing. \u201cI just said a prayer over him, really invoking the Holy Spirit and the help of our Blessed Mother to really help him to just play strong, and to not have injury, and to be a leader out there. It was a spontaneous prayer that we said over him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Luke Kornet getting blessed by nuns pic.twitter.com\/ctFzBkqA9E<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There have been other moments behind the scenes that the Sisters have cherished, such as the moment with Wembanyama in the tunnel, or when Dylan Harper\u2019s mother, Maria, came up to them. \u201cSisters, thank you for everything,\u201d Maria said to them. She then mentioned that Dylan was an alum of a Salesian school, as was she. It was a wonderful moment of connection that reminded Mota of the way faith, and sports, can bring people closer.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

That is her hope for the finals, not just for their beloved Spurs but for the Knicks, too; that everyone is imbued with a sense of deeper purpose and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether or not (the Spurs) are going to win the championship, I have no idea. The Knicks are a great team, too,\u201d Mota said. \u201cWe\u2019re just praying that everybody can play good, honest basketball out there. That there\u2019s not gonna be any type of negative rivalry or anything like that. Good rivalry is good.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that they can play clean, honest basketball, and then \u2014 may the best team win.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and her Sisters are trying to stay present in the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been beautiful,\u201d Mota said. \u201cSociety is seeing that, you know what? Faith and sports can go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sisters stood inside the tunnel, waiting for the Spurs players to emerge from the locker room. They looked up in awe, as 7-foot-4 San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama began to walk toward them. It was a crucial Game 6 at home, a chance to even the series and force a Game 7 \u2014 and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1971689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1971689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1971689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1971689\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1971689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1971689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1971689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}