San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich takes a stand against booing of Kawhi Leonard
In a rare mid-game move, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich took the mic during Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers to ask Spurs fans to stop booing former Spurs player Kawhi Leonard.
“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich said. “Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play. It’s got no class, it’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”
Popovich’s request did little to quell the boos, as Spurs fans continued to show their displeasure with Leonard, who left the team in 2018 after a controversial departure.
“I thought that was an awesome moment, despite the fans booing, I think, even more,” Clippers player Paul George said. “I think that was a hell of a moment, Pop having Kawhi’s back in that situation.”
Leonard, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Spurs and won an NBA championship with the team, has been met with boos every time he returns to San Antonio. Despite the negative reception, Leonard expressed understanding, stating, “If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they are probably going to boo me for the rest of my career.”
The unusual mid-game intervention by Popovich has sparked conversation among fans and analysts, as it is uncommon for a head coach to address the crowd in such a manner.
“It’s unclear why Popovich decided this time was enough,” remarks an ESPN reporter. “Many in the arena looked perplexed in the moment, including some of the players, and for good reason as we’ve never seen anything like that before in a game.”
Despite the divide between Leonard and the Spurs fanbase, it is clear that both parties have strong feelings about his departure and subsequent returns. As Leonard aptly puts it, “It is what it is.”