The LA Clippers had just won their third consecutive victory against Kawhi Leonard’s former team, the San Antonio Spurs, 109-102. But in the matchup’s countless moments, one particular incident stood out the most: Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich silencing the crowd.
It’s no secret that the Spurs crowd is one of the most intense audiences in the league; they’re pretty passionate about making their home team win, even if it means booing their opponents.
And in Monday’s night game, the boos were particularly directed at a former Spurs player, Kawhi Leonard. This intensified as Kawhi Leonard took to the line to shoot free throws.
Disturbed by the needless taunts, Coach Popovich immediately stepped in and tried to calm the mob.
He grabbed the public address microphone and addressed the crowd in a serious tone, “Excuse me for a second, can we stop all the booing and let these guys play? Have a little class. It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”
Never seen this before in sports: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich got on the mic in middle of the game tonight and told fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard, who years ago forced his way out of San Antonio.
"That's not who we are."pic.twitter.com/8csv7Z2f7X
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 23, 2023
In a post-match conference, Popovich said that he did that to stop the crowd ‘from poking the bear.’
But much to his dismay, another round of boos echoed throughout the stadium, but whether this was directed at Leonard or at the coach remains questionable.
Paul George’s take
When Paul George was asked about the episode, he praised Popovich for standing up for Leonard at the time.
“I think that was a hell of a moment, Pop, having Kawhi’s back in that situation,” George said.
He also added that while it was unfortunate for Leonard to be in a situation where he’s getting booed by the city and organization whom he’s helped win games and a championship in the past, ‘booing’ is what makes sports, ‘sports’.
Despite the jeers, Leonard finished the game with 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. George added 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Harden, on the other hand, had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists.
The LA Clippers are only just starting to gain momentum this season, and the fans can’t wait for them to grab another win in their next game against the New Orleans Pelicans
The Spurs, meanwhile, have fallen to a record of 3-12, plummeting to the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
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