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.
