SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs' Nov. 6 home game against the Clippers will likely be remembered not for the final score but as the night the long-time head coach Gregg Popovich scolded fans for booing former Spur Kawhi Leonard.
“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich said in the first half as Leonard was at the free throw line. “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.”
That plea fell on deaf ears and fans increased the booing for the rest of the game and his mic moment did not go over well with many fans.
Chiming in on what happened during his "Big Shot Rob" podcast is former Spur Robert Horry.
Horry, who helped the Spurs win the NBA titles in 2005 and 2007, called what Popovich did "elementary school stuff."
“This is the incarnation of elementary school where you could not cheer for your team while someone else shooting their free throws," he said. "That’s some private elementary school stuff right there."
He also opined that what Popovich did was unprofessional and wondered if it was meant to get on Leonard's good side and sway him into coming back to San Antonio.
"At the back of my mind, I’m like ‘Is Pop trying to get Kawhi back? Is he trying to get on Kawhi’s good side?’," Horry asked.
Following the game, Pop was asked about the incident.
“I think anybody that knows anything about sports, you don’t poke the bear,” Popovich said.
Leonard, who helped the Spurs win the NBA title in 2014 and was named the NBA Finals MVP, reacted to the booing calling Spurs fans "very competitive" and noted that they are the best in the NBA.
"It is what it is. They are one of the best fans in the league and they are very competitive. Once I stand on this basketball court out here, they are going to show that they are going for the other side," he said. "When I’m on the streets or going into a restaurant, they show love. It is what it is."
Popovich did state he has no regrets about his microphone moment with the fans adding he felt sorry for his former player but called it a one-off moment.
"I listened to it for a while and it just got louder and louder and uglier and uglier, and I felt sorry for him, and I was embarrassed for our city, for our organization," he said ahead of the Spurs matchup versus the Warriors on Nov. 24.
"Because that's not who we are, that's not how we've conducted ourselves for the last 25 years. It's the opposite of the way we've conducted ourselves, the way we've worked in the community."
Popovich's moment with the fans certainly drew strong reactions across the sports world with some agreeing and disagreeing with what he did.
What do you think about what Pop did? Let us know on X at @KENS5 and at @JeffGSpursKENS5.