Kawhi Leonard and Coach Pop connect after Clippers’ win vs. Spurs

[spursparker9]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwkn393m7uc

Seems like the beef is over.

Previously there was some dissing from both sides...remember Pop saying that Nephew was not a leader during his tenure with Spurs while praising Patty and Manu being a true leader. Then Nephew butting back that Spurs conveniently forget about all his contributions for the Spurs once he left the organisation

[Mr. Body]

Popovich embraced him the first game back. I don't get it, if someone stabbed me in the back I wouldn't be so nice, but whatever.

[Chinook]

https://media.kens5.com/assets/KENS/images/626107139/626107139_750x422.jpg

I think I remember reading that Leonard cleared the air with Pop personally before he was even traded. Like when Pop's wife died. It's one of the reasons why someone like Jack feels off base because even someone who set up an even more antagonistic relationship with the Spurs seems to have a lot of respect and affection for him. I have a feeling the situation with Murray will be pretty similar regardless of how the crowd reacts. At least, I think Pop will want that, and if DeJounte doesn't react badly to the crowd and lashes out, I think he'll want it too. There are more to these people's relationships than just the professional stuff.

[Chinook]

(The above pic is from Leonard's first game back in 2019, in case it's not clear.)

[tonight...you]

https://media.kens5.com/assets/KENS/images/626107139/626107139_750x422.jpg

I think I remember reading that Leonard cleared the air with Pop personally before he was even traded. Like when Pop's wife died. It's one of the reasons why someone like Jack feels off base because even someone who set up an even more antagonistic relationship with the Spurs seems to have a lot of respect and affection for him. I have a feeling the situation with Murray will be pretty similar regardless of how the crowd reacts. At least, I think Pop will want that, and if DeJounte doesn't react badly to the crowd and lashes out, I think he'll want it too. There are more to these people's relationships than just the professional stuff.
Pop's good people.
They know it.
The Game is more than him, but he's good people.
Not perfect, but moreso than many.

This world could do better with many more Pop's.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Pop: Told you you were growing a bone in that quad

[offset formation]

(The above pic is from Leonard's first game back in 2019, in case it's not clear.)

I was there. That game was quite cathartic for me.

[DeRozan m8]

Tear another ACL

[John B]

Pop is always like that with everybody, coaches, ex-Spurs or not, maybe not with Zaza I don’t know :lol. Pop puts people relationship over basketball, life over basketball. You see on the first part Kawhi seemed to have said to a Clippers staff, “I’m gonna go talk with Pop.” First off, it helps Kawhi’s PR to pay his respect to Pop after the game, everybody does, whatever his intentions. Then Pop seemed to have pulled him aside to ask him, while PG came to say hi. Pop seemed to have asked Kawhi, maybe about his health?? Kawhi answered respectfully, and Pop gestured to his head as if saying “stay focus”?? I wouldn’t doubt Pop would embrace DJ on their first game back, like a father welcoming a prodigal son, to diffuse or for whatever reason. CIA Pop would suggest “keep your enemy closer” :lol But seriously, I think Pop just genuinely love people. SJAX or whoever would try to diss on the Spurs and players, but they can’t on Pop because they know it’s not gonna stick and they would just look dumb. People, players, coaches, they all love Pop and what he represents in the basketball community. Enjoy him while it last.

[Dejounte]

IMO, Pop’s maintaining that relationship so in the future he could ask him to mentor future Spurs players, maybe even Sochan. It’s similar to happened with Kobe. Pop asked Kobe and I believe even Jordan to go practice with Kawhi.

[spurs10]

As a fan I'm not fond of Kawhi for many reasons. I do understand Pop putting all the basketball problems behind him and embracing Kawhi as a person. Pop puts the 'game' in perspective, as opposed to 'life.'

Me, not knowing or caring to know Kawhi, my attitude is more '#!@# that mother%%$##$%er.' :smokin:flipoff

[heyheymymy]

Wonder what was said, saw Pop gesture both pointer finger to both temples of his head, like JOHN B said, as if to say to Leonard, 'stay mentally focused'?

Pop is a respected elder in this league, even Leonard knows this goes beyond basketball.

I hate Kawhi for bailing on the team but he had a good game last night, I must admit and tip of the cap to Leonard for his performance, fair is fair.

[offset formation]

Some of you are evidently far more mature and forgiving of neph than I am. Fuck that fool. I won't even ever say or type his name ever again. Won't even capitalize or type out his entire new moniker. It's neph and will always only be neph.

I actively cheer for his failures. I can't wait until he has to retire. Nothing has gone right for this organization since the date he decided to be a coward and shit on the organization through leaks.

I'd at least call him by his name had he had the balls to ask for a trade publicly and not have his unc and other family and agents throw out slanderous BS. They put a curse on us and made it easy for NBA fans around the league to trash us, especially as he went on to ring in Toronto.

We're cursed. Fuck neph.

[exstatic]

Some of you are evidently far more mature and forgiving of neph than I am. Fuck that fool. I won't even ever say or type his name ever again. Won't even capitalize or type out his entire new moniker. It's neph and will always only be neph.

I actively cheer for his failures. I can't wait until he has to retire. Nothing has gone right for this organization since the date he decided to be a coward and shit on the organization through leaks.

I'd at least call him by his name had he had the balls to ask for a trade publicly and not have his unc and other family and agents throw out slanderous BS. They put a curse on us and made it easy for NBA fans around the league to trash us, especially as he went on to ring in Toronto.

We're cursed. Fuck neph.

We’re not cursed, just experiencing normal team things, something that with the exception of one season we didn’t experience from 1989 to 2019. After drawing Robinson and Duncan, we would probably be the most hated team in the league if we win the Wemby lottery.

[timtonymanu]

Tear another ACL

[Ariel]

IMO, Pop’s maintaining that relationship so in the future he could ask him to mentor future Spurs players, maybe even Sochan. It’s similar to happened with Kobe. Pop asked Kobe and I believe even Jordan to go practice with Kawhi.
yeah, can't wait for the rotten apple to mingle with the bunch...

[BacktoBasics]

I hope Kawhi loses his leg and testicles to a staph infection.

[exstatic]

IMO, Pop’s maintaining that relationship so in the future he could ask him to mentor future Spurs players, maybe even Sochan. It’s similar to happened with Kobe. Pop asked Kobe and I believe even Jordan to go practice with Kawhi.

Within a year of Kobe working with Kawhi, Magic was already tampering with his family, trying to get him to the Lakers cheaply. No thanks. You don’t open the henhouse door to let the fox in. Not twice, anyway.

[TD 21]

Never ceases to amaze me how some continue to fall for this fake, made for TV crap. This is part of Pop's schtick: When embarrassed, react the opposite of expected to hammer home his "it's just a game" (that at going on 74, on the least talented team in the league, he can't bring himself to leave) ethos.



We’re not cursed, just experiencing normal team things, something that with the exception of one season we didn’t experience from 1989 to 2019. After drawing Robinson and Duncan, we would probably be the most hated team in the league if we win the Wemby lottery.

Why do some keep pretending the big three just aged out, Scumbag was traded for commensurate value and it just so happens that they're here?

Based on how things played out, "normal" should have been roughly the equivalent of the Pelicans, not the only team without a current or projected future centerpiece.

[Chinook]

Some of you are evidently far more mature and forgiving of neph than I am. Fuck that fool. I won't even ever say or type his name ever again. Won't even capitalize or type out his entire new moniker. It's neph and will always only be neph.

I actively cheer for his failures. I can't wait until he has to retire. Nothing has gone right for this organization since the date he decided to be a coward and shit on the organization through leaks.

I'd at least call him by his name had he had the balls to ask for a trade publicly and not have his unc and other family and agents throw out slanderous BS. They put a curse on us and made it easy for NBA fans around the league to trash us, especially as he went on to ring in Toronto.

We're cursed. Fuck neph.

The Spurs learned a hard lesson in how to react to a player wanting out. I think they thought with Aldridge and to a lesser extent Parker that they could fix everything. After Leonard, I don't think they'll try to hold onto a star. That likely played into them trading Murray. The idea that the Spurs had a chance transition from Tim/Tony/Manu to Leonard/Aldridge/Murray is nothing short of amazing. But it wasn't to be. Now that the combo is broken, they don't have to cling to guys like Johnson. If Keldon keep developing and some others come along, great. But if he stagnates or gets passed up, they can move on. That's a silver lining.

I don't root for the Clippers. They are one of the teams I take some slight pleasure in seeing down in the standings along with Minny. I don't have an active vendetta against Kawhi, but wouldn't be happy with the Clippers winning due to him and Balmer. But I'm also happy with Johnson and Poeltl, and I was happy with DeRozan. It was not a perfect return, and perhaps a PATFO who had a second chance could've timed the trade better and come away with some legit value (though please let us not reopen that can of worms). But when push comes to shove, I just don't care enough about basketball to really get hung up on if the Spurs are winning or losing. They're just a bit of entertainment. Kawhi's a guy who seems to have played a situation poorly due to a mix of understandable and overblown factors. He left SA just like Aldridge left Portland, just like the eventual FA that will hopefully be a big part in SA's renaissance will leave their teams. Just gotta embrace the movement and hope to take advantage of it.

[toki9]

Some of you are evidently far more mature and forgiving of neph than I am. Fuck that fool. I won't even ever say or type his name ever again. Won't even capitalize or type out his entire new moniker. It's neph and will always only be neph.

I actively cheer for his failures. I can't wait until he has to retire. Nothing has gone right for this organization since the date he decided to be a coward and shit on the organization through leaks.

I'd at least call him by his name had he had the balls to ask for a trade publicly and not have his unc and other family and agents throw out slanderous BS. They put a curse on us and made it easy for NBA fans around the league to trash us, especially as he went on to ring in Toronto.

We're cursed. Fuck neph.

https://youtu.be/X_-q9xeOgG4

[baseline bum]

https://youtu.be/X_-q9xeOgG4

Just doesn't have the same effect without seeing Brian up on that cross


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M

[Thomas82]

We’re not cursed, just experiencing normal team things, something that with the exception of one season we didn’t experience from 1989 to 2019. After drawing Robinson and Duncan, we would probably be the most hated team in the league if we win the Wemby lottery.

I wouldn't even care if we were hated for winning the lottery. In fact, bring it on!!

[exstatic]

The Spurs learned a hard lesson in how to react to a player wanting out. I think they thought with Aldridge and to a lesser extent Parker that they could fix everything. After Leonard, I don't think they'll try to hold onto a star. That likely played into them trading Murray. The idea that the Spurs had a chance transition from Tim/Tony/Manu to Leonard/Aldridge/Murray is nothing short of amazing. But it wasn't to be. Now that the combo is broken, they don't have to cling to guys like Johnson. If Keldon keep developing and some others come along, great. But if he stagnates or gets passed up, they can move on. That's a silver lining.

I don't root for the Clippers. They are one of the teams I take some slight pleasure in seeing down in the standings along with Minny. I don't have an active vendetta against Kawhi, but wouldn't be happy with the Clippers winning due to him and Balmer. But I'm also happy with Johnson and Poeltl, and I was happy with DeRozan. It was not a perfect return, and perhaps a PATFO who had a second chance could've timed the trade better and come away with some legit value (though please let us not reopen that can of worms). But when push comes to shove, I just don't care enough about basketball to really get hung up on if the Spurs are winning or losing. They're just a bit of entertainment. Kawhi's a guy who seems to have played a situation poorly due to a mix of understandable and overblown factors. He left SA just like Aldridge left Portland, just like the eventual FA that will hopefully be a big part in SA's renaissance will leave their teams. Just gotta embrace the movement and hope to take advantage of it.

Aldridge left when his contract was up. Kawhi forced his way out with two years and an option year left. He didn’t leave ‘just like Aldridge’.

[MultiTroll]

Within a year of Kobe working with Kawhi,
I thought Kobme working with Kwa was dispelled as fraudulent myth, Laker style.

[Chinook]

Aldridge left when his contract was up. Kawhi forced his way out with two years and an option year left. He didn’t leave ‘just like Aldridge’.

So Aldridge left his team for nothing while the Spurs got a return for him that you have celebrated on a number of occasions. I'm not sure if that's worse. As I said the Spurs are now forever aware that they can lose stars after basically not having to worry about that outside of Tim flirting with the idea until David talked some sense into him and Doc Doc'd. It was a hard lesson, but they learned it.

[MultiTroll]

I think I remember reading that Leonard cleared the air with Pop personally before he was even traded.
Site owner cited something like '50-50' as to sharing blame of the Kawhi - Spurs fallout. Of course it apparently can never be revealed by those in the know.
For all we know Popped may not have been a large or even small part of Uncles beef.

Sure, giving in to Muh Touches Aldridge whining like a selfish bitch in the midst of a 67 win season can and did hurt Kawhis MVP chances and that legitimately could piss him off. But appears it was way way more then that and perhaps didn't even involve Pop.

Again, top secret will not be revealed. As to timvp i'm not buring on him at all, he's simply staying loyal to his source(s) and will not reveal per their assumed promises.

But no one in the media, 5 years later can say what came down? FFS.
Oh well lets move on.

Conclusion. Pops huggy lovey dovey goes on with every team in his Overdue Retirement Tour. So the hugfest with Kawhi is a nothing burger.

[offset formation]

Aldridge inconceivably gets a bad rap on this board by some posters and it doesn’t make a bit of sense. Dude gave everythinghe had and was a great teammate. Literally carried the team on both ends of the court while neph refused to show up.

So what that he wanted out at one point. He didnt leave after pop and him had a conversation wherein pop acknowledged he was misusing Aldridge. They hashed it out privately then went on to give this team 2 more great seasons including an all-star appearance.

LA requested a trade in private. Never badmouthed this team, the organization, the coaches, the fans, the city. He was a huge FA and bascially played out his career here.

Quite frankly those of you that bitch about LA don't fucking get it or comprehend that he held this franchise together, practically single-handedly. Without him, thanks to the shit neph pulled, we'd currently be in year 6 of an officially declared rebuild.

Wake up and smell the suckage neph left. And get on your knees to praise LA for keeping us from being near the bottom of the league since.

[The Truth #6]

I think part of the bad taste is LA being fairly rigid in how he wanted to play. But I suppose that’s how it is with most star players. Really, the FO should have never tried to make LA and DDR both try to coexist for so long. But that’s the past.

[venitian navigator]

The point is that for convincing a star to sign in our small market you probably have to promise something accomodating with his playing style... in a team oriented style like ours have always been, that's probably a promise you can't make if if you malke its easy to see problems coming.
No doubt that if such promise wasn't made probably LA would have signed with Phoenix instead...and who knows if Kawhi would have behaved in a different way...
The point is that reputation and style and accountability are valuable in our organization, and its very difficult to mix them with a selfish star system...expecially, sorry to say this, with the USA star mentality.
Needless to say that our three/four stars (Robinson, Duncan) of the championships were a) exceptional american people known not only for their exceptional basketball skills but for exceptional character qualities like intelligence, unselfishness and loyalty;
b) people coming from different basketball cultures (european and latino american, Parker and Ginobili).

[james evans]

Aldridge inconceivably gets a bad rap on this board by some posters and it doesn’t make a bit of sense. Dude gave everythinghe had and was a great teammate. Literally carried the team on both ends of the court while neph refused to show up.

So what that he wanted out at one point. He didnt leave after pop and him had a conversation wherein pop acknowledged he was misusing Aldridge. They hashed it out privately then went on to give this team 2 more great seasons including an all-star appearance.

LA requested a trade in private. Never badmouthed this team, the organization, the coaches, the fans, the city. He was a huge FA and bascially played out his career here.

Quite frankly those of you that bitch about LA don't fucking get it or comprehend that he held this franchise together, practically single-handedly. Without him, thanks to the shit neph pulled, we'd currently be in year 6 of an officially declared rebuild.

Wake up and smell the suckage neph left. And get on your knees to praise LA for keeping us from being near the bottom of the league since.
Kawhi did the same hahaha. He never even spoke at all to the media:spin

[offset formation]

Kawhi did the same hahaha. He never even spoke at all to the media:spin

Someone here evidently never heard of uncle dennis and neph's agent and sister that were throwing shade at the spurs constantly through cowardly, untrue leaks.

LA never did that or anything close to it and shame on you for even attempting to conflate the two situations.

[james evans]

Someone here evidently never heard of uncle dennis and neph's agent and sister that were throwing shade at the spurs constantly through cowardly, untrue leaks.

LA never did that or anything close to it and shame on you for even attempting to conflate the two situations.
I'm going to ask this one question. Have you ever heard Kawhi say anything? I don't give a damn if his entire family did it. The statement was that LA never said anything and I said, Kawhi didn't either. Did I lie?

[offset formation]

I'm going to ask this one question. Have you ever heard Kawhi say anything? I don't give a damn if his entire family did it. The statement was that LA never said anything and I said, Kawhi didn't either. Did I lie?

Convenient that neph doesn't talk to anyone ever. He let others do his dirty work trashing the city, team, certain players, coaches including pop, medical staff, franchise even insinuating racism was at play.

neph said very little, you're right. even after demanding his way out he said nothing but that takes nothing away from letting his reps do it for him.

[james evans]

Convenient that neph doesn't talk to anyone ever. He let others do his dirty work trashing the city, team, certain players, coaches including pop, medical staff, franchise even insinuating racism was at play.

neph said very little, you're right. even after demanding his way out he said nothing but that takes nothing away from letting his reps do it for him.
That's the only point I was trying to make. Thank you. Nothing else is needed.

[offset formation]

That's the only point I was trying to make. Thank you. Nothing else is needed.

Yeah nothing except context.

It's a brilliant point indeed that completely disregards the fact neph has never been involved with the media. He has others speak for him. Had he been a talker and then shut up during g this episode you might have a point.