As Bexar County voters prepare to decide whether to dedicate more than $300 million in venue taxes toward a proposed new downtown arena for the San Antonio Spurs, newly released communications show the NBA franchise has been quietly cultivating relationships with leaders in Austin — including Mayor Kirk Watson.

The trove of text messages and emails between Spurs executives, Watson and his mayoral staff offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the team has expanded its presence up Interstate 35, even as voters here debate whether to approve hundreds of millions of dollars to go toward the downtown development project dubbed “Project Marvel.”

Spurs’ growing footprint in Austin

The Spurs have played two regular-season home games in Austin each year since 2023, part of what the team brands as

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