Legendary NBA coach lifts scolds own fans for ‘no class’ act

Gregg Popovich has always been a unique character and the legendary coach was up to his old tricks against the Clippers.

Gregg Popovich tells Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard

There were wild scenes in San Antonio when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich grabbed the arena microphone to tell his team’s fans to stop booing Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard previously played for the Spurs before requesting a trade back in 2018 and San Antonio fans clearly haven’t forgiven the superstar forward.

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Leonard was booed on nearly every possession during the first half of the Clippers match up with the Spurs, which forced Popovich to call out the fans inside San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center while Leonard was attempting free throws.

“Excuse me for a second, can we stop all the booing and let these guys play,” Popovich said to the stunned crowd.

“It’s no class and that’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

Gregg Popovich tells Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard

The announcement was met with a mixed reaction from the fans, with many cheering the coach while quite a few booed even louder.

The booing did nothing to deter Leonard. He led the Clippers with 26 points, guiding L.A. to a 109-102 win against his former team.

Speaking after the match, Popovich was reluctant to fully delve into the incident but reiterated his main goal was for the fans not to provide any extra motivation to Leonard.

“You don’t poke the bear,” Popovich said.

The booing made no difference to Kawhi Leonard in the game. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

“Anybody who knows anything about sports knows you don’t poke the bear. That’s my answer.”

For the Spurs, it was their tenth straight loss and they languish at the bottom of the Western Conference.

They won’t challenge for a postseason spot, but first overall selection Victor Wembanyama continues to show why he was the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James, handing in a superb all-around performance.

Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in addition to three assists and three blocks.

Originally published as Legendary NBA coach lifts scolds own fans for ‘no class’ act