SAN ANTONIO — Something truly surreal happened Wednesday night at the Frost Bank Center as the Spurs hosted Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers.
In the second quarter, the Klaw went to the free throw line and the San Antonio faithful booed the 2014 Finals MVP loudly. That isn't what was surreal; they had been doing that all game, did it all of Monday's game and have done it every time he's touched the ball in this building since he forced his way off the team in 2018.
But in between the free throws, Kawhi's former coach decided he'd had enough. He grabbed the public address microphone and addressed the fans, imploring them to stop booing the guy.
"Excuse me for a second. Please stop all the booing and let these guys play. It's got no class, it's not who we are," Popovich said to the crowd. "Knock off the booing."
The crowd treated Pop less like a Hall of Famer and more like a substitute teacher who assigned homework, booing more loudly than they had all night. It wasn't the result he wanted, but it did get the fans engaged as his guys fought back to cut a once 17-point deficit down to just three.
The Spurs played an impressive game and responded to all of the runs that the Clippers made, but fell at the end 109-102.
When asked about why he took to the microphone, Popovich switched his tune a bit.
"Anybody that knows anything about sports, you don't poke the bear," he said.
When pressed on how that differed from telling fans the booing lacked class, he interjected.
"I just told you why I did it."
He was asked again to clarify.
"I spoke English, I just told ya. Anybody that knows anything about sports knows you don't poke the bear, that's my answer."
When another reporter began asking another question about it, Pop interjected again.
"That's all I need to say. I don't know how you want me to... you want me to make up a different answer? I gave you the answer, there's no other questions that need to be asked. Anybody else?"
Asked if he was saying he didn't want the booing to motivate Kawhi, Pop said it one last time.
"You know exactly what I mean, you don't poke the bear."
People also know exactly what Pop meant when he spoke to the crowd in the middle of the game. The coach faced criticism from fans and members of the media who noted that booing is a fair and normal part of sports.
Plenty of people would say booing is immature, or petty, or rude, or classless, and plenty of people would respond to that by saying "BOOOOOOOO!" Seeing that play out spontaneously between one of the game's most respected culture builders and thousands of fans of his team in a building where he helped hang five banners was astonishing.
Jeremy Sochan was next at the podium, and stood by his coach.
"I think it's the right thing to do. You don't know what's going on in Kawhi's head, and he's done so much for this organization, so there's no need to disrespect him like that. I guess it's all part of the game, but at the same time, he's a human too. So at the end of the day I respect what Pop did," he said.
Zach Collins said he was on the bench in some foul trouble when he heard a voice on the PA system and initially thought it was a fan who had run on the court.
"I heard the voice and I looked around and I go 'oh man that's Pop,'" he said with a laugh. "But hey, Pop's gonna do what he's gonna do... Definitely never seen it before, but that's Pop."
"I thought that was an awesome moment despite the fans booing I think even more," Paul George said. "I think that was a hell of a moment, Pop having Kawhi's back in that situation."
The man at the center of it all didn't seem too phased by it.
"I was focused. I didn't know if it was him or not. They are a very classy organization, and he wants to keep it that way." Leonard said. "If I don't have a Spurs jersey on they're probably gonna boo me for the rest of my career, but I mean, it is what it is. They're (some) of the best fans in the league, and they're very competitive, and once I step on this basketball court out here they're gonna show that they're going for the other side. And when I'm on the streets or going into restaurants they show love."
Pop said he and his former pupil didn't talk about the game afterward, just personal stuff.
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