Why Did Spurs Fans Boo Kawhi Leonard? Exploring Reason for Gregg Popovich’s Appeal to San Antonio Crowd

Nov 22, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forwards Paul George (13) and Kawhi Leonard (2) box out San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Kawhi Leonard was once a respected superstar who played for the San Antonio Spurs. Having played seven seasons for the Texas side, Leonard won two Defensive Player of the Year trophies. Further, the two-way star helped the team win the 2014 Championship while being named the Finals MVP. However, the same San Antonio crowd that once loved Kawhi now hates him with a passion.

Ever since Kawhi Leonard got traded away from the Spurs in 2018, the San Antonio crowd has been hostile toward him whenever he makes a visit. Even today, during the Los Angeles Clippers’ contest at the Frost Bank Center, Kawhi was continuously booed.

Things became so ugly that Gregg Popovich, midway through the clash, had to request the crowd to stop booing. As Leonard was shooting a pair of free throws, Coach Pop took the announcer’s mic and said:

“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play. Have a little class. That’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

Despite Popovich urging the crowd, the boos only intensified for the second free-throw attempt.

Why does the San Antonio crowd hate Kawhi Leonard?

Sustaining a quad injury, Kawhi Leonard only suited up for nine games during the 2017-2018 season. The San Antonio Spurs’ medical staff gave him the clearance to take on the floor much earlier. However, the multiple-time All-Star believed it best to continue to sit out.

This disagreement between the Spurs franchise and Kawhi led to an increase in tension between the two parties. Of course, the front office was frustrated and couldn’t wait anymore for their star player to make his return to the lineup. The news of the organization being frustrated led to Kawhi parting ways with the Texas side.

Despite Coach Pop’s efforts to travel to New York to meet up with Leonard on June 14, 2018, Leonard expressed his desire to be traded. Finally, just more than a month later, the Spurs complied with Leonard and sent him to the Clippers.

Along with Kawhi, the Spurs also parted ways with Danny Green. In exchange for those players, they acquired DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a few draft picks.