Gregg Popovich grabs the microphone in the middle of a game for one of the great sporting gestures of the year

2023-11-23 09:22:02

Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurswas the protagonist of a great sporting gesture during his team’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The veteran coach took the microphone in the middle of two free throws from Kawhi Leonard, formerly of the Spurs and now with the Clippers, to ask his own Texan public to stop whistling at his rivals.

“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop booing and let these kids play? Let’s have some class. This is not who we are. Enough booing,” Popovich said.

Wow. #Spurs HC Gregg Popovich just grabbed the arena microphone with Kawhi Leonard at the free throw line, and asked the crowd to stop booing.

Fans have been booing Leonard, who asked to be traded from San Antonio, on every touch.

Not sure I’ve seen that in an NBA game. pic.twitter.com/PHk3yD2IHG

— Nate Ryan (@nateryansports) November 23, 2023

His message was not received positively by the Texan public, who increased the level of booing of the Clippers players, who won the game 109-102.

Champion with the Texans

Leonard was NBA champion in 2014 with the Spurs, but asked to leave the franchise in 2018 to join the Raptors, with whom he was champion in 2019.

Since then, the Californian has been considered an ‘enemy’ by many Spurs fans.

“Anybody that knows anything about sports. You don’t poke the bear.”

Coach Gregg Popovich explains why he took the mic and told the fans to stop booing Kawhi.@spurs | #PorVida | ????:BSSW pic.twitter.com/inUUTzfqS8

— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) November 23, 2023

The Clippers added their third consecutive victory in the NBA, driven by 26 points, four rebounds and four assists from Leonard.

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Paul George contributed 24 points, while James Harden, another player much cheered by the public, scored 16 points, with six rebounds and nine assists.

In the Spurs, who are bottom in the West (3-12) and have ten consecutive defeats, the Frenchman Victor Wembanyama He contributed 22 points, 15 rebounds and three assists.