The young San Antonio Spurs fan who was declared ‘brain dead’ following a tragic accident while celebrating their recent playoff win has died at the age of 17.
Jose Luis Rodriguez III fell from a vehicle during wild celebrations after the Spurs won Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week.
The teenager was driven to an emergency room before being transferred to a trauma center due to the severity of his injury, where he was declared brain dead.
Family members were told that the 17-year-old was not expected to survive and on Tuesday they made the decision to take Rodriguez off life support.
‘He was ready to go out there into the world and make something of himself,’ his aunt, Victoria Lopez, told KSAT. ‘It’s just a terrible tragedy.’
According to the San Antonio Express News, Rodriguez was sat in the passenger-side window of a vehicle when it hit a curb and he fell out, striking the pavement.
The young Spurs fan who was declared ‘brain dead’ following a tragic accident has died at 17
The fan was participating in a ‘honking’ celebration – a tradition where fans ride in and on top of cars while cruising down the streets within the city – when he fell off and suffered an injury
The teen was driven to a freestanding emergency room before being transferred to a trauma center due to the severity of his injury, where he was declared brain dead.
He landed on his head and left ‘blood all over the street,’ his aunt, Yvonne Hudson, added.
The outlet also revealed that the 17-year-old is a student at Frank Tejeda Academy in the Harlandale school district and was set to graduate next year.
Police reports say the teen was celebrating near Southwest Military Drive – a hotspot for the traditional ‘honking’ celebrations.
In a statement, San Antonio Police extended sympathy to the victim’s family, friends and loved ones – calling it a ‘tragic’ and ‘preventable’ event.
‘We encourage everyone celebrating to follow traffic laws, stay inside of your vehicles and follow directions from the officers who are there to keep everyone safe,’ SAPD said in a statement.
San Antonio’s tradition of ‘honking’ celebrations dates back to the Spurs’ 1999 run to the NBA title and grew when the team became a dynasty under Gregg Popovich.
Fans clad in black-and-silver take their vehicles to certain spots in the city – particularly on Commerce Street in downtown and on Southwest Military Drive on the city’s South Side – after victories.
The tradition has led to large gatherings and street parties in the early hours as fans flocked to celebrate major victories for the team in the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as the Knicks beat the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the Finals
Rodriguez’s death came just days before the opening game of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and New York Knicks, who struck first on Wednesday night.
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1.
OG Anunoby had 17 points for New York – which has won 12 consecutive playoff games, the seventh team to have such a streak in NBA history, and is the third to do it in a single season.
Brunson scored 13 points in the fourth, only six fewer than San Antonio managed as a team in that quarter, and sealed it with a spinning jumper while falling to the court with 38 seconds left.
