Gregg Popovich seems unwavering in his position on taking the mic to reprimand the Spurs’ home crowd for booing Kawhi Leonard, a former star. When asked again about the incident before Friday’s game, Popovich emphasized that he has no regrets in standing up for Leonard.
He pointed to the positive receptions and tribute videos for Leonard and Danny Green during their initial returns as a basis for expecting, and urging, the fans to show a different demeanor six years later.
“I felt sorry for [Leonard], and I was embarrassed for our city, for our organization, because that’s not who we are,” Popovich said. “That’s not how we’ve conducted ourselves for the last 25 years. …Now don’t get me wrong, our fans, they’ve been great. They’ve supported us, and it was kind of a one-off that night, but they’ve been great. Our commitment to the community has been great, and we’ve loved every minute that they’ve been there supporting us.
“But it’s kind of an indication of the world we live in today. It was hateful. It was really disrespectful. And it was just mean-spirited.”
Gregg Popovich doubles down on chiding ‘hateful’ boos: ‘Felt sorry’ for Kawhi Leonard https://t.co/BHMIHNSMU1 pic.twitter.com/UUPyNP4L9p
— New York Post (@nypost) November 25, 2023
