SLAM DUNK TV

New Amazon series documents the early days of the San Antonio Spurs

George Gervin is one of the legendary players featured in 'Soul Power.'

Kevin Fitzgerald, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A new Amazon Prime docuseries will soon give basketball fans an inside peek at the early days of the San Antonio Spurs. Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association (ABA), premiering next week on February 12, tells the story of the league that set the stage for one of the NBA’s most legendary franchises.

The series was executive produced by a few notable names, including Julius “Dr. J” Erving, rapper Common, and former Spurs teammate turned NBA coach George Karl. Among the notable San Antonio players featured is George "The Iceman" Gervin.

Soul Power follows the brief nine-year run of the seminal league, which ran from 1967 to 1976. Although the ABA was preceded by the NBA by decades, it had a lasting impact on the game. The upstart introduced All-Star slam dunk contests and the three-point shot, and gave women more opportunities in sports business.

“The ABA wasn’t just a league — it was a movement,” said former ABA superstar Erving in a press release. “It gave players freedom, creativity, and opportunity at a time when none of that was guaranteed. This series tells that story honestly, and it educates people that the game we see today exists because of what we started back then.”

One of the things the ABA started was bringing professional basketball to the Alamo City. The hometown team first played in the ABA as the Dallas Chaparrals before it was sold to a group of 35 San Antonio businessmen led by Angelo Drossos, John Schaefer, and Red McCombs and renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers. Perhaps for the best, that branding never made it to the court. The Spurs debuted in the ABA’s 1973-1974 season with the now-familiar black, silver, and white colors.

Without the team buyout and the Dallas’ Chaparrals’ financial struggles, San Antonio would likely not have an NBA team today — much less have a citywide debate about Project Marvel.

You can watch a trailer of Soul Power below.

for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

San Antonio residents will recognize one local athlete in particular: Bobsledder Boone Niederhofer, who grew up in the Alamo City.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.TeamUSA.com

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after the stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Niederhofer graduated from Churchill High School in San Antonio, according to 12thman.com.Boone Niederhofer/Facebook

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