Follow the team all season long with the 20-Second Timeout blog by Bill Schoening, The Radio Voice of the Spurs for the past 13 years. Bill has over 30 years of play-by-play experience including broadcasting Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA. *Timeout Archive: October 10 | November 10 | December 10 | January 11 | February 11 | March 11 | April 11 | December 11 | January 12 | February 12 | March 12 | April 12 | May 12 | October 12 | November 12 | December 12 | January 13 | February 13 | March 13 | April 13 | May 13 | June 13 | October 13 | November 13 | December 13 | January 14 | February 14 | March 14 | April 2014 | May 2014 | June 2014
Spurs in Istanbul
by Bill Schoening | October 12, 2014
After an overnight flight following the Alba Berlin game, the Spurs had a day to rest before returning to practice and preparing for preseason game number two in Istanbul, Turkey.
As part of the NBA Cares program, The Spurs also will spend some time with Special Olympics athletes from Turkey.
During their downtime, they can enjoy the sights of the city where East meets West- Istanbul.
Touring Berlin
by Bill Schoening | October 7, 2014
While the mornings here in Berlin have been filled with Spurs practices, player interviews and reports for Spurs.com, the afternoons have been jam packed with besichtigung (sightseeing). My great grandfather Rudolph Schoening sailed to the States from Hamburg on a ship called the Minerva in 1884, and returned after his wife Gottlieben died in 1927.
Since Rudolph's death in 1934, no one from our family had been back to Deutschland. I wanted to make sure I took in all I could during my time here.
A few of the highlights include the Famous Brandenburg Gate, a climb to the top of the dome of the Berlin Cathedral, a stroll down the Spree River, and a visit to the Holocaust Museum. Today I stood in the spot where the Reich Chancellory once stood. This is where Adolph Hitler holed up in his bunker before committing suicide on April 30th, 1945.
Another highlight was reading the messages of hope and peace written on portions of the Berlin Wall, which once separated the free West from the Communist East.
Many friends have asked me about the food, beer and wine and while gastronomically this city is very good, it's rich history, architecture, and natural beauty are what has appealed to me the most. It has been ausgezichnet (excellent)!
Starting Overseas Comes Natural for the Spurs
by Bill Schoening | October 6, 2014
It has been well documented that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich embraces diversity. From his appreciation of food and wines from around the world to the various countries represented on his team's roster, Pop clearly savors the opportunity to experience different cultures. That's why opening the preseason in Berlin and Istanbul is just fine with him.
"We always enjoy taking a trip like this if possible" says Pop."It builds camaraderie, and we get to experience what each city offers, culturally and gastronomically."
The players also enjoy the chance to bond on the road and take in the sights. During our first night in Berlin, I came across Boris Diaw, Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter at a portion of the Berlin Wall. They were reading about the history of the wall, which divided East Berlin (controlled by the communists) from the free market West.
Ginobili, who is fluent in Italian, Spanish and English, was anxious to learn more about the German capital, "I always look forward to walking around different cities and taking in their history and culture."
For the Spurs, starting the preseason in Europe is what comes natural.