Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Addresses San Antonio Crowd Mid-Game To Stop Booing Kawhi Leonard: “That’s Not Who We Are”

The San Antonio Spurs have long been considered a top-flight organization. A rare incident that happened Wednesday night proves that the franchise is nothing but a class act.

If you’re not aware, the Los Angeles Clippers visited San Antonio for an early evening game. The Clippers were up by nine, 48-39, with 3:06 remaining in the second quarter when the Spurs fouled Kawhi Leonard and put him to the line.

Leonard, a former Spur, was vehemently booed by the crowd as he took his free throws. Interestingly, Popovich picked up the microphone at the scorer’s table and reprimanded the audience.

“Excuse me for a sec. 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.”

Gregg Popovich addressing the Spurs crowd in the middle of the game

Popovich also spoke about the incident in his post-game presser, explaining why he took the mic mid-game and requested for the San Antonio crowd to stop booing Leonard.

“Anybody that knows anything about sports. You don’t poke the bear.” When asked for an in-depth explanation, he kept his answer short and repeated, “I spoke English; I just told ya. Anybody that knows anything about sports knows that you don’t poke the bear.”

In 2018, Leonard left the Spurs in not-so-good terms. That essentially ended any semblance of the Spurs’ championship hopes. What’s worse, the team they traded Leonard to, the Toronto Raptors, immediately won the title, with The Klaw leading the way. Therefore, it’s easy to see why the Spurs crowd still loves to let Leonard hear it.

However, Popovich’s defending Leonard was also understandable. After all, the guy was the Finals MVP of the Spurs’ last championship in 2014. One could argue that the Spurs would have their ring count stuck at four without Leonard’s greatness at both ends. These same fans used to cheer him on, and now, they’re turning against him because of a requested trade.

On the other hand, other fans commenting on X are not too glad about what Pop did. Booing and jeering have always been a part of sports. Furthermore, Kawhi Leonard sure does not need Popovich to defend him. Some were even calling for Pop’s retirement, calling him “too soft.”