San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich walks to the bench after addressing fans during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich grabbed the microphone and chastised the crowd at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night, telling fans to stop booing former Spurs all-star Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich said, silencing the crowd late in the first half. “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.”
Leonard has been jeered by Spurs fans since he demanded a trade and was dealt from San Antonio to the Toronto Raptors on July 18, 2018.
Fans booed as Leonard stood at the free throw line following a foul by Spurs forward Keldon Johnson with 3:08 remaining in the first half. Popovich then walked over and grabbed the public address microphone.
After an initial stunned silence, the crowd began booing even louder in response. Leonard would face a cascade of more vociferous jeers but made both free throws.
The booing continued each time Leonard touched the ball and extended to James Harden and other players from the Clippers.
Fans showered Leonard with thunderous jeers in his initial return to San Antonio following his trade to Toronto. The booing has lessened over the years with some fans cheering when he was announced at last year’s game.
Leonard said after Monday night’s game, which the Clippers won 124-99 to extend the Spurs’ losing streak to nine, that he heard some cheers.
“I mean, it was a little bit 50-50 tonight,” Leonard said. “I heard some cheers and some boos. But like I’ve said before, it’s a competitive fan base. They want to win every game, so once I come to the game, there’s going to be some boos. But walking around in the city, or restaurants, they show love.”
Popovich’s actions were reminiscent of former Indiana Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight taking to the microphone to berate fans for their actions during their matchup with Michigan State on Jan. 21, 1989.
“I don’t care what the quality of the officiating is, we don’t throw things in here,” Knight said.
