Even though it’s been half a decade since Kawhi Leonard left Texas, he’ll always be tied to the San Antonio Spurs. He led the team to their last NBA championship and became their franchise player before an injury severed his relationship with the organization.
Leonard has never been outspoken or the kind of player who shows his emotions. He has rarely addressed his past with the organization, and given the way he left, that rubbed some fans the wrong way.
That’s why a portion of the Spurs’ faithful have always booed Leonard every single time he’s come back to their arena. Notably, that’s not something that resembles the values of the fan base, according to Gregg Popovich.
With that in mind, the legendary coach reached out to the scorers’ table to grab a mic and demand the fans to stop booing Leonard on Wednesday night’s game, letting them know that they’re better than that.
Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.
Kawhi Tips Hat To Spurs Fans
Not many people would’ve had such a classy gesture towards a former player, especially considering the fact that Leonard forced his way out of the team and didn’t leave on good terms. Even so, he still has some love for the guys who once rooted for him:
“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they’re probably gonna boo me for the rest of my career. It is what it is. They’re one of the best fans in the league and they get very competitive. When I’m on the streets or going into restaurants, they show love,” Leonard said. “They’re a very classy organization, and I’m pretty sure he [Popovich] wants to keep it that way.”
When asked about the incident, the Hall of Famer coach was as blunt as he usually is, keeping it all about business and stating that he didn’t want Leonard to get mad and have a big game:
“You don’t poke the bear,” Popovich said. “Anyone who knows anything about sports knows you don’t poke the bear; that’s my answer.”
Kawhi Leonard — Getty Images
Kawhi Has No Hard Feelings
Leonard reportedly didn’t like the way the Spurs handled his injury. Some of his teammates reportedly resented the fact that they thought he was healthy enough to play and didn’t. Even so, he has no hard feelings for Coach Pop.
“He’s the reason why I’m the player I am today,” Leonard said back in 2022. “[He] built that foundation, showing me winning basketball. He’s a great coach. Still one of the best coaches I’ve had. We’ve been in too many battles to have a scar on our relationship.”
The Spurs haven’t been competitive since Leonard left. He went on to win another NBA championship, this time with the Toronto Raptors, and he’s trying to do the same with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Injuries have often stood in his way to fulfill that goal, so perhaps he was right all along about the way the Spurs dealt with it. But at the end of the day, there’s just no need to resent the guy who trusted him and developed him when no one thought he was going to be as good as he is nowadays.
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