Did Uncle Dennis pay Bleacher Report to write this article?

[spurs10]

It's hilarious lol. What's funny is, if the Spurs/Pop really wanted to, I'm sure they could've aired out the dirty laundry and showed what was happening with Kawhi/Dennis, that might paint them in a negative light. They chose not to make that stuff public

Pop definitely took the high road and traded him as requested. I'm sure Pop realizes this is not life and death.

[spurs10]

"The San Antonio mafia is real," the executive said. "When the Godfather (Popovich) speaks, they're coming for you. He's the nicest kid in the world and all of a sudden he's an evil villain? He's not an angry kid. He's a sweetheart."

Lol people are just happy to see San Antonio not being successful anymore. That executive was probably from a team that we beat in the finals.
So he claims the Spurs made him out to be an evil villain? No I think his Uncle did a good job of doing that for him.

Pop loved him some Kawhi. Just listen to Pops interviews during 2016-17, saying Kawhi is the best player in the world when everyone was raving about westbrook, harden, curry, durant.

Then don't forget the whole "Spurs are too controlling" during the All Star Game for telling Kawhi to leave earlier so that he can beat traffic, but his Uncle advises to stay at the hotel and they'll leave later when they are good and ready. They end up hitting tracking and then have to walk to the arena lol.

I mean cmon the Uncle is delusional.

The tens of millions lost is also something that uncle, being the great NBA manager he is, can be proud of. And yes, the "executive" if he has been in the NBA for long has been beaten often by Pop...who hasn't.

[widowmaker]

I thought anything written in bleacher report was an opinion and not fact?

[bklynspursfan]

You have your tongue so far up Pop's asshole you think you know what they could've and couldn't have done

So in that small brain of yours, you think Kawhi/Dennis acted amicably the whole time. And PATFO were just perfectly fine the way they conducted themselves? Figures lol

[r0drig0lac]

His time has come and gone tbh. Players like Tim Tony and Manu simply don't exist in today's NBA. Different generations and different players now. Pop is a great coach but it takes more in today's game. You have to be able to control and manage the different personalities on your roster. A la Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson imo. Pop is too old school and take no bull for today's NBA imo.

agree

[R. DeMurre]

The interesting thing in all of this is that no one really knows the intimate details of what happened behind the scenes with Kawhi and Pop, Kawhi and other players... It is funny though to see almost an entire website essentially turn into a bunch of bitter dudes who've all been dumped by the same girl

[TDomination]

It seems that everyone is forgetting that if it wasn't for the trade, Kawhi would have NEVER EVER EVER chosen the Raptors. He wanted to go to one place and one place only, Los Angeles. Clippers or Lakers, thats it.

It's like oh wow Kawhi is having such a great relationship with the Raptors but c'mon what does that really mean? Seeing him laughing and all that. He seemed pretty happy in SA after the championship, he seemed to be thriving in 2016-17 before he got hurt.

Its all just a front. Just like when a reporter asked last year "Would you like to spend the rest of your career in San Antonio?" ...."Yeah for sure"

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Does anybody actually read Bleacher Report?

[E20]

let's try and trade derozan for kawhi

[Mirrornick]

the NBA sure is full of drama.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

i thought what's-his-face-related topics were being dumped in one thread or downstairs

[tmtcsc]

This is such bull . Ric Bucher is a longtime NBA hack too. First of all, Kawhi Leonard was never known as a "Good Dude". If that narrative was being sold out there, it was because that's what the Spurs were spinning. For example, take this from 2015:

USA Basketball media operation always first class. Exception Thursday was Kawhi Leonard, both miserable and insulting. The new 'sheed?
- SAM SMITH

Here's the cleaned up, summarized version of how Kawhi acted toward the media during the August 2015 Team USA practices: "Everybody knows I don't do media.''


Shy? Introverted? Nah, that's a dude who thinks his doesn't stink and he's above talking to the little folk.

I'm pretty certain there was more to that story. Bottom line, I didn't care how he treated the media or what he had to say or if he was a good dude. All I cared about was what he brought to the floor every night. That all changed when he crossed lines you aren't supposed to cross with your teammates. ging out and being a while your teammates go out and try to play is unacceptable. If anyone was owed an apology, it was Kawhi to his teammates. This whole reverse victim thing is bull . It was an orchestrated attempt to be traded to a California team while vilifying the Spurs organization. His crew employed or used minions like Jabari Young and Geltz from NBA satellite channel to spread their story. All bull . That fat-ass Don Harris from Channel 4 knows more than he's shared with San Antonians. He had a big grin on his face and predicted Kawhi was GONE early in this drama.

Jeff McDonald, Mike Finger, all those hacks know more than they've cared to share. Maybe to save their "sources".

[phxspurfan]

Absolutely a hit piece

[phxspurfan]

It's hilarious lol. What's funny is, if the Spurs/Pop really wanted to, I'm sure they could've aired out the dirty laundry and showed what was happening with Kawhi/Dennis, that might paint them in a negative light. They chose not to make that stuff public

Maybe they should make some of it public at this point. No lawsuit for the lost 19MM, no voice...makes for free agents hesitating even more to come to SA later.

[Russ]

Maybe they should make some of it public at this point. No lawsuit for the lost 19MM, no voice...makes for free agents hesitating even more to come to SA later.

Damned if you do, damned if you . . .

If you go public, that might be the thing that scares off players you might pursue (plus any player who wants to know (or their agent) can easily find out what really happened).

All in all, though, I think Kawhi handled everything in an up-front professional manner. . . .

[Old School 44]

Can't blame what's in that article on Kawhi. That's all Bucher spin. Looks like he just trying to start a public fight. LOL at the exec calling the Spurs org the "San Antonio Mafia". Probably Sarver or someone else from Phoenix. My message to the PATFO is don't bite.

[Rummpd]

Bucher used to be a star now mining the trenches at BR. Horrible article about a horrible man.

[Spurs Homer]

Yeah, that article didn't ring true to me - it seemed half baked and not even balanced.

Let's see this play out, right now is their honeymoon period.

[HankChinaski]

I don't think I can ever understand guys who make more than people make in a lifetime in a couple of games in a season an then they voice this things about treatment an needing this an that.

I seriously doubt they are receiving physical an emotional abuse from a professional organization.

Stuff like this just makes me not give a damn any further.

[bklynspursfan]

Maybe they should make some of it public at this point. No lawsuit for the lost 19MM, no voice...makes for free agents hesitating even more to come to SA later.

Funny I remember Mike C Wright saying he had stories about it, but wouldn't put them out while the drama was happening. Kinda wish he would, but that could potentially be received with some distaste

[r0drig0lac]

Can't blame what's in that article on Kawhi. That's all Bucher spin. Looks like he just trying to start a public fight. LOL at the exec calling the Spurs org the "San Antonio Mafia". Probably Sarver or someone else from Phoenix. My message to the PATFO is don't bite.

stay calm, patfo does not want any of this

[Mugen]

I mean Kawhi is a and a quitter. But my dude is playing on a legit championship contender this season and will probably end up on a team that will be significantly better than the Spurs for the next 5-7 years by next summer

Hate on him and Uncle D-Bag all you want but you can't argue with the results based on how the PATFO has been grading out the last 2 seasons. Stuff about the medical team and the huge lack of athleticism on the roster are making them look like geniuses so far tbh....

[Play Boban]

Kawhitter needs to be banned from the nba. He is a national disgrace. That’s why our president deported him to that third world hole up north of the border.

[SpurPadre]

If we really were a Mafia, PATFO would've sent somebody to take out Kawhi's quads with a sledgehammer, tbh.

[phxspurfan]

Funny I remember Mike C Wright saying he had stories about it, but wouldn't put them out while the drama was happening. Kinda wish he would, but that could potentially be received with some distaste

I'm sure there are stories. Stuff like Uncle Dennis showing up to team meetings/team facilities and arguing with PATFO/players. Or locker room blowups like what just happened with the Dubs. Maybe some doctors/Spurs support staff who got thrown under the bus threatening to leave if Kawhi comes back. etc. I mean who would want to deal with this guy, especially if he was offered the Supermax after what he pulled. He made it an impossible situation.