NBA In-Season is in full swing and the heat is brewing almost in every game as the tournament nears the knock-out rounds. San Antonio Spurs had a disappointing start this season and only managed 3 wins against 13 losses. Quite expectedly, head coach Gregg Popovich is under fire for his choice of players. In a recent game, the former Spurs player Kawhi Leonard silenced the crowd at the Frost Bank Center. Despite playing at their home ground, Spurs faced yet another loss. Interestingly, Leonard had a tumultuous exit from the Spurs in 2018. He had been with the Spurs since 2011. It was an ugly break-up that ended on a sour note due to an injury saga and looming free agency. 

On Wednesday’s match, the audience kept on booing at Leonard each time he touched the ball. Coach Pop came in defense and interrupted the game. After this gesture from Pop, Spurs’ millionaire shareholder jumped into Kawhi Leonard’s support. 

Leonard could have dropped more than 26 points according to Charlie Amato

Chairman of SWBC, Charlie Amato, talked about the game controversy and had a diplomatic take on what transpired. He came in Leonard’s defense by acknowledging that the 32-year-old could have scored more than 26 points, had there been some less heat. “You don’t poke the bear,” rightly said Pop when he was prompted by what led him to take the mic and address the fans. 

Kawhi Leonard became the NBA Finals MVP after defeating the Heat for Spur’s fifth championship in 2014. He was a consistent player for the Spurs until the fallout in 2018 due to an injury. He led the Raptors to a championship in 2019 before he was finally traded to the LA Clippers. Responding to Kawhi’s decision, Amato said, “He just wanted to go back home and go to California (his home state)” and “It’s not a mortal sin”. This was apparently something that’s too hard to swallow for Spurs’ fanbase who continued to boo Leonard. 

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Popovich stands by his actions 

In the second quarter, Popovich took the microphone to address the fans. “Knock off the booing,” he said. But it only got louder. The Clippers eventually silenced the crowd with a 109-102 win. Unfortunately, star player Victor Wembanyama could not replicate his stellar show as the Spurs’ deficit grew. 

READ MORE: Why Did Gregg Popovich Stop Fans From Booing Kawhi Leonard? Spurs HC Divulges Reason With a Warning

Popovich expressed no regrets for calling out Spurs fans for the mean-spirited behavior towards Leonard. All in all, sentiments might run wild in the heat of the moment, but fans must keep in mind that they must never disrespect a player. 

What are your thoughts about the incident? Do comment and let us know.

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