Gregg Popovich wasn’t holding back on Wednesday night, making a direct appeal to fans at the Frost Bank Center in Texas.
The San Antonio Spurs coach, late in the second quarter of their 109-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, rushed to the microphone to express his displeasure at the treatment of former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard by the home crowd.
“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play?” Popovich passionately implored the fans while Leonard was shooting free throws for the Clippers. “It’s got no class, it’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”
Despite his efforts, the boos quickly resumed following a brief moment of applause.
Leonard, who initially joined the Spurs in 2011, spent seven successful seasons with the team and contributed to an NBA championship in 2014.
His departure from San Antonio was characterized by a strained relationship with the organization due to a lingering quad injury during the 2017-18 season. This led to his eventual trade to the Toronto Raptors, where he won an NBA championship before joining the Clippers in 2019.
Popovich’s appeal to the crowd was an attempt to quell persistent booing of Leonard by Spurs fans since his departure, a sign of their lingering resentment even as the team has moved on to a new era.
Despite Popovich’s plea, Spurs fans seem unprepared to let bygones be bygones.
As for the game itself, the Clippers took an early lead and maintained it throughout the night, ultimately securing a seven-point victory. Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points, and Paul George and James Harden added 24 and 16 points, respectively.
Victor Wembanyama, the top overall pick in the recent NBA draft for the Spurs, contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds, displaying the promise of the team’s future.
The Spurs, currently with a 3-12 record, have suffered 10 consecutive losses. Their next game will be against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
