Coach Popovich grabs mic to tell off fans for booing Kawhi Leonard

Bally Sports San Antonio

Gregg Popovich and Kawhi Leonard may not have had a ceremonious exit during their time working together, but the San Antonio Spurs coach stood up in a unique fashion for his former player tonight.

During a matchup on Wednesday night at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center, the Spurs faithful were quite active in booing their former star player whenever he got his hands on the ball.

But Popovich decided he’d had enough, and went over to the scorer’s table for a quick lecture to the crowd on the PA announcer’s microphone in an attempt to get them to quiet down during a free throw attempt from Leonard midway through the second quarter.

“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.”

Coach Pop is not a fan of the booing. @spurs | #PorVida | 📺:BSSW pic.twitter.com/nU5Msi7RQc

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

Despite Popovich’s pleas, the booing seemed to keep up throughout the contest.

Back in 2018, Kawhi Leonard had infamously put in a trade request away from San Antonio after winning the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, with reports widely circulating that he was unhappy with the way his ongoing knee injuries were handled by the franchise.

Ultimately, the Spurs sent him to the Toronto Raptors franchise in a blockbuster trade, where he’d win the NBA title in his only season there before signing with the Clippers the following summer.

Asked to explain why he decided taking the microphone to stop his own fans booing Leonard, Popovich seemed to want to merely not give him any added motivation in the game.

“Anybody that knows anything about sports. You don’t poke the bear,” Popovich added postgame, repeating his remarks when asked to clarify.

"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 move, however, didn’t quite work, with the Clippers coming out on top by a 109-102 score, and Leonard picking up a game-high 26 points.

Leonard, meanwhile, had his own thoughts on it all, via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez:

“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they’re probably going to boo me the rest of my career. But I mean it is what it is. Like I said, they’re one of the best fans in the league and they’re very competitive,” he said. Once I step out on this basketball court out here, they show that they’re going for the other side. When I’m on the streets or going into restaurants, they show love. So it is what it is.”