By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite the unconventional efforts of Gregg Popovich, boos to Kawhi Leonard dominated across the fans in Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.
Leonard, 32, was at the center of attention. Facing the San Antonio Spurs, his team from 2011 to 2018, resulted in a win for the Los Angeles Clippers. He contributed 26 points behind 10/17 field goals.
Late in the second quarter, the president and head coach of the Spurs addressed the crowd. “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,” he mentioned.
Pop taking the mic and asking Spurs fans to stop boos is as European as it gets for the #NBA pic.twitter.com/oRkDBJma1L
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) November 23, 2023
“I think anybody that knows anything about sports, you don’t poke the bear,” explained Popovich in the postgame press conference.
The Spurs were forced down to 3-12 with a tenth straight loss in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season. French upstart Victor Wembanyama posted a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double to go with three blocks, three assists, and one steal in the latest losing display.
“That was a more solid game for us. We are definitely on the right path. You can see a lot of potential,” he said, “It is what we take from the game. Besides the frustration of losing, it is all positive. It is a contender to the title. We did, almost, a good job.”
Coming up is a two-game road trip with stops at the Golden State Warriors on Friday and at the Denver Nuggets on the next edition of NBA Sundays.
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