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In one of their first group outings since the pandemic started in March 2020, the Spurs visited Roy Maas Youth Alternatives-Meadowland in Boerne after practice Thursday.

“It was a wonderful experience to be with all the kids and see the operation again,” Popovich said. “We had been down there before, so we are pretty familiar with it. But it’s been a couple of years now with COVID and everything. To get the guys back involved in the community like that was wonderful, and the kids were great. All the volunteers were there that make that thing go, so it was really an eyeful to see the work they are doing there. It’s fantastic.”

Blair Thompson, chief executive officer of the nonprofit, said the Spurs players were “amazing” and “took genuine joy in engaging with our kids.”

“(Spurs special adviser to basketball operations) Manu (Ginobili) even stuck around for an extra hour just to take pictures and sign autographs,” Thompson said. “That’s Hall of Fame stuff right there.”

Rookie Malaki Branham said he hopes it’s the first of many visits to charitable groups he and his teammates will make.

“I feel like that’s why this organization is so special, the work we do outside of basketball,” Branham said.