Well, it’s all over. Here’s what I think:
There was very little the Spurs could have done to hold onto Kawhi Leonard. He wanted to play close to home, and once he emerged into a franchise player, he expected to be treated like a modern franchise player.
The Spurs’ organization got spoiled by the Big 3, especially Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan frankly managed the Spurs as much as they managed him. He does not behave in any way at all like a modern NBA superstar, does not have the worldview of an American NBA superstar, though ironically his power and influence over the organization eclipsed that which these guys craved, because of the way he handled his business. We all should be able to see how much of a hit the “Spurs Way” took when he retired.
Kawhi wasn’t all that keen on staying in San Antonio under any cir stances. But he did respect Pop as a coach. And for a while he cared about his teammates, though he’s pretty cutthroat deep down, and once he’s done, he’s done. At some point, someone in the organization made him feel like he wasn’t valued, like he was less than the Big 3, like he wasn’t ready to lead because he was quiet, not a genius in dealing with teammates like Duncan was. Then given his mindset, the notion that the Spurs might even question giving him the supermax was unforgivable disrespect. The actual money doesn’t even matter (given that he forfeited $80 million ultimately). And the idea that somebody would come across as implying that he didn’t care enough about winning if he didn’t take less... at that point he was done with the San Antonio Spurs. Don’t they know that it was their players and Pop who made them what they were? Outside of them, the Spurs were just another franchise?
And that’s not even taking into account what he thought about the way they handled player signings. Not that he ever uttered a word about how he felt about any of this.
So once the quad became an issue, he was in no mind to risk his body to rush back to them. Yeah, the Spurs gave his team total control over his treatment and recovery, because they better — he’s a superstar. But then he hears rumblings that some in the organization think he’s faking it? Well F them. He’ll play on his terms, when he’s damn ready. Stealing $19 million? F that, he thought he was a damn bargain for the contract he signed.
It’s not as though the Spurs acted in bad faith. They did the Spurs thing they always had done. And they thought Kawhi had bought into the Spurs Way; it’s not as though he had ever spoken up to say anything different. How were they to know that what they really had on their hands was a guy just as en led, demanding, sensitive, touchy, and unforgiving as the typical NBA superstar these days? Maybe they should have known — it’s no secret what millennials are like, and it’s no secret how powerful the elite players are and what they extract from their teams.
In any event, it’s over. Leonard is gone. Also, Peter Holt is gone, Tim Duncan is gone, Manu Ginobili is gone, and Gregg Popovich only has a couple of years left. Culture is set by leaders, and there is no guarantee that those who come after will be able to maintain what came before. There is nothing magic about that logo or this city, or the banners of past glory, that will keep the Spurs “Spursy.” Those who come after will have to accomplish whatever they do on their own merits.
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