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Why Did Kawhi Leonard Leave San Antonio? Former Teammate LaMarcus Aldridge Reveals Truth Behind Stunning Exit

Published 12/29/2023, 6:57 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

With the basketball world buzzing with newfound insights, one thing is clear, the drama of the NBA will continue for a long time. The latest is the mystery surrounding Kawhi Leonard‘s departure from the San Antonio Spurs in 2018. Recently, his former teammate LaMarcus Aldridge shared his opinion on the situation. The former NBA player recently made an appearance in Showtime’s “All The Smoke Show” hosted by Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

Both the former Spurs players Jackson and Aldridge shared their take with the listeners.

LaMarcus Aldridge talks about Kawhi Leonard’s exit

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During the conversation, both Aldridge and Stephen Jackson spoke about the surprising exit of Leonard from the Spurs. Speaking of the 2x NBA champion’ exit, Aldridge stated how there could have been many things that might have led to his exit. He said, “When somebody’s ready to go, they ready to go, even when you’re there, certain sh*t is never told to everybody, some sh*t stays behind closed doors,” He added, “No one knows all the sh*t…Sh*t was going back and forth with them but we didn’t know what was going on.”

Leonard was instrumental in the Spurs’ win against the Miami Heat 4-1 in 2014. The 5x NBA All-Star was also named the Finals MVP. The other host of the show, Jackson, didn’t hesitate to share his opinion with the listeners. He added how Leonard just wanted to play basketball and wasn’t interested in coach Popovich’s teaching. Like many, he appears to have the same opinion that Hall Of Famer Tony Parker’s comment might have offended the 5x NBA All-Star. After Aldridge’s comment, Jackson agreed that it isn’t easy to navigate through coach Greg Popovich’s strict practice.

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He added how one needs a “strong will” to play with the San Antonio Spurs. He brought up Parker’s remark, suggesting it might be the comment that could have upset Leonard.

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Stephen Jackson shared his unfiltered opinion with listeners

Earlier, Parker made a statement that he recovered from his injury faster than Leonard did. Jackson added that Leonard might have been upset with how the team didn’t take a stand for him. He said, “When that injury stuff came down; how they didn’t fight for him in public. Like Tony had an injury and Tony was out for a long time Kawhi never said nothing. There was question about why Kawhi was out and Tony was like well I had the same injury and I came back questioning if he really hurt on National TV.”

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He added, “That pushed him right out the door.” What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Pritha Debroy

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One take at a time

My love for basketball kicked off with the Portland Trail Blazers. The team's spirit, their thrilling plays, and the dedicated fan base had me hooked from the get-go. Now, I'm all about blending my passion for the game with my love for writing.
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Edited by:

Debmallya Chakraborty