Soft paywall, but here are snippets from the article worth reading:
>##To be sure, there are layers to this story that make it way more complicated than just the “Coach tells fans not to boo, and fans boo anyway” headline.
>Layer one: The Spurs haven’t made the playoffs in five seasons, and have started with a miserable 3-13 record in a year that Popovich himself announced was going to be about winning.
>Layer two: Leonard left the Spurs under a set of circumstances in which the average fan believed he not only quit on the franchise, but also betrayed Popovich himself. That violation was, and continues to be, deemed unforgivable.
>Layer three: A not-insignificant portion of the fanbase is inclined to be outraged by anything Popovich says, due mainly to his outspoken criticism of their favored politicians.
>Layer four: Politics aside, civil or not, there is a long history of sports fans venting their frustrations with opponents, and San Antonio never has been an exception to that rowdiness.
>##The Return
>He also recalled that when Leonard and Danny Green came back with Toronto to play their first game in San Antonio, the team showed a tribute video and “the crowd didn’t react like that.”
>But that’s not quite true. Back then, in 2019, the crowd cheered every time Green’s face was shown on the screen, but the jeers were deafening every time Leonard was shown. The fans booed him every time he touched the ball, and chanted “Traitor! Traitor!” when he attempted free throws. In Popovich’s defense, he said that night he “felt badly” about that treatment then, too.
>##Way, way back
>From almost the moment the Spurs arrived in South Texas as an ABA team a half-century ago, they were known for housing some of the most rambunctious, unwelcoming fans in the league. In the 1970s, the “Bums” pelted then-Denver coach Larry Brown with avocados. In the 1980s they scuffled with Larry Bird after a game, prompting the Celtics legend to swing a duffel bag at them in what he claimed was self-defense.
>Once, after the Bums heckled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following a fire at his house, the Los Angeles Times called that segment of Spurs fans, “loud, doggedly persistent, and at times utterly tasteless.”
>So this phenomenon isn’t new, even if the Spurs’ run of championships during the Tim Duncan era — plus the mellowing of the Bums in their new higher seating section — distanced them from that image.
vaselinebaby
Pop the GOAT, but I don’t go down there and tell him how to coach, please don’t tell me how to spectate. I paid for these tickets, I’m booing nearly every non-spur in the building.
NB_79
I would have assumed Pop would have already known he couldn’t tell fans what to do but maybe he did
PostMahomess
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Perfect-Giraffe2323
Pop threw up a heat check grabbing that mic
Smellmyhand
Booing certainly has its place in sports. Especially in situations like ours with Kawhi. I do think Spurs fans in general have become very bitter and spiteful about Kawhi and although it never seems to cross a line, it is very immature how incessant our fans are to hating Kawhi. Especially when we just re-uped with one of the best prospect in 20 years. People really should just get over it.
However, the unhinged address to the crowd during the game was incredibly unprofessional and out of character for Pop. No matter how much I do agree with him that it’s just bad taste to constantly boo him throughout the game. A guy who, no matter how it ended, was the Finals MVP of arguably our most important championship. And his explanations since then haven’t helped his case. Was it about being respectful fans or was it about not poking the bear?
The response from the fans to then boo louder is the real disrespect to me. I’m not saying Pop should’ve been applauded for doing that. But doubling down on the booing toward Pop just goes to show the depths of immaturity and entitlement in our fanbase that have been revealed over the last few seasons. We don’t care if you’re a FMVP for us, we don’t care if you are the winningest coach of all time and won 5 championships for us. If we don’t like what you say, we’re just gonna boo you louder. It’s pathetic. I’m not saying Pop or the Spurs or even Kawhi are above criticism. Booing is not criticism. The vitriol I see directed towards Pop in this sub is not criticism. It’s immature complaining.
Then to have to listen to casuals and people who weren’t even watching the game or privy to the Spurs and Kawhi history talking out of their ass thinking Pop is just against all booing in general has been exhausting. It was incessant the entire game every time he touched the ball. Pop shouldn’t have done that but if you can’t at least understand why he thought he should, you either don’t understand the context or are just immature.
None of us *really* know how things played out behind the scenes or what was or wasn’t said to lead to Kawhi wanting out. But I’m sure whatever it was obviously wasn’t enough for Pop, someone who knows Kawhi on a personal and deeper level than any of us ever will, to lose all respect for him. Part of me loves that he sticks up for guys who left us on bad terms. I hope the young core sees how much he cares for the players as people.
I’m just glad the CP3 and Giddey stories happened so people will stop talking about it because it’s embarrassing all around. We played really well after his outburst and it seems like things can kinda go one of two ways at this point. We can continue to unravel or build on that urgency of play. Hopefully it gets things into gear and we can all get back to what’s really important…hating the Rockets.
PS: I’d argue there’s another former Spur on the Clippers who actually deserves those boos…
And by all means, if you’re one of those “you can’t tell me how to act when I pay my own money for the ticket”, please continue to waste your money openly being a dumbass child so the rest of us know to stay away from you
Bonesawisready5
It says more about how boring our team has become that we hold onto this drama with Kawhi. Let it go. Sucks but it is what it is. Same fans would fall over themselves talking REDEMPTION if he came back this summer r
Ecovar
Blah blah blah blah, everybody just needs to move on who cares. It’s not that deep. Both sides are right and wrong. People don’t need a long ass paragraph just to see your views.
Lesscheesemoremac
When I go to Hawks game I don’t hear them booing Murray.
Nomad942
Pop forgot a simple rule: the customer is always right.
Not literally, I know, but Pop has been at the pinnacle so long he may have forgotten that he and the Spurs are a “product” the fans have no obligation to “buy.” The fans ultimately hold the power as a collective. Not even the GOAT coach can overcome that.
11 Comments
Soft paywall, but here are snippets from the article worth reading:
>##To be sure, there are layers to this story that make it way more complicated than just the “Coach tells fans not to boo, and fans boo anyway” headline.
>Layer one: The Spurs haven’t made the playoffs in five seasons, and have started with a miserable 3-13 record in a year that Popovich himself announced was going to be about winning.
>Layer two: Leonard left the Spurs under a set of circumstances in which the average fan believed he not only quit on the franchise, but also betrayed Popovich himself. That violation was, and continues to be, deemed unforgivable.
>Layer three: A not-insignificant portion of the fanbase is inclined to be outraged by anything Popovich says, due mainly to his outspoken criticism of their favored politicians.
>Layer four: Politics aside, civil or not, there is a long history of sports fans venting their frustrations with opponents, and San Antonio never has been an exception to that rowdiness.
>##The Return
>He also recalled that when Leonard and Danny Green came back with Toronto to play their first game in San Antonio, the team showed a tribute video and “the crowd didn’t react like that.”
>But that’s not quite true. Back then, in 2019, the crowd cheered every time Green’s face was shown on the screen, but the jeers were deafening every time Leonard was shown. The fans booed him every time he touched the ball, and chanted “Traitor! Traitor!” when he attempted free throws. In Popovich’s defense, he said that night he “felt badly” about that treatment then, too.
>##Way, way back
>From almost the moment the Spurs arrived in South Texas as an ABA team a half-century ago, they were known for housing some of the most rambunctious, unwelcoming fans in the league. In the 1970s, the “Bums” pelted then-Denver coach Larry Brown with avocados. In the 1980s they scuffled with Larry Bird after a game, prompting the Celtics legend to swing a duffel bag at them in what he claimed was self-defense.
>Once, after the Bums heckled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following a fire at his house, the Los Angeles Times called that segment of Spurs fans, “loud, doggedly persistent, and at times utterly tasteless.”
>So this phenomenon isn’t new, even if the Spurs’ run of championships during the Tim Duncan era — plus the mellowing of the Bums in their new higher seating section — distanced them from that image.
Pop the GOAT, but I don’t go down there and tell him how to coach, please don’t tell me how to spectate. I paid for these tickets, I’m booing nearly every non-spur in the building.
I would have assumed Pop would have already known he couldn’t tell fans what to do but maybe he did
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Pop threw up a heat check grabbing that mic
Booing certainly has its place in sports. Especially in situations like ours with Kawhi. I do think Spurs fans in general have become very bitter and spiteful about Kawhi and although it never seems to cross a line, it is very immature how incessant our fans are to hating Kawhi. Especially when we just re-uped with one of the best prospect in 20 years. People really should just get over it.
However, the unhinged address to the crowd during the game was incredibly unprofessional and out of character for Pop. No matter how much I do agree with him that it’s just bad taste to constantly boo him throughout the game. A guy who, no matter how it ended, was the Finals MVP of arguably our most important championship. And his explanations since then haven’t helped his case. Was it about being respectful fans or was it about not poking the bear?
The response from the fans to then boo louder is the real disrespect to me. I’m not saying Pop should’ve been applauded for doing that. But doubling down on the booing toward Pop just goes to show the depths of immaturity and entitlement in our fanbase that have been revealed over the last few seasons. We don’t care if you’re a FMVP for us, we don’t care if you are the winningest coach of all time and won 5 championships for us. If we don’t like what you say, we’re just gonna boo you louder. It’s pathetic. I’m not saying Pop or the Spurs or even Kawhi are above criticism. Booing is not criticism. The vitriol I see directed towards Pop in this sub is not criticism. It’s immature complaining.
Then to have to listen to casuals and people who weren’t even watching the game or privy to the Spurs and Kawhi history talking out of their ass thinking Pop is just against all booing in general has been exhausting. It was incessant the entire game every time he touched the ball. Pop shouldn’t have done that but if you can’t at least understand why he thought he should, you either don’t understand the context or are just immature.
None of us *really* know how things played out behind the scenes or what was or wasn’t said to lead to Kawhi wanting out. But I’m sure whatever it was obviously wasn’t enough for Pop, someone who knows Kawhi on a personal and deeper level than any of us ever will, to lose all respect for him. Part of me loves that he sticks up for guys who left us on bad terms. I hope the young core sees how much he cares for the players as people.
I’m just glad the CP3 and Giddey stories happened so people will stop talking about it because it’s embarrassing all around. We played really well after his outburst and it seems like things can kinda go one of two ways at this point. We can continue to unravel or build on that urgency of play. Hopefully it gets things into gear and we can all get back to what’s really important…hating the Rockets.
PS: I’d argue there’s another former Spur on the Clippers who actually deserves those boos…
And by all means, if you’re one of those “you can’t tell me how to act when I pay my own money for the ticket”, please continue to waste your money openly being a dumbass child so the rest of us know to stay away from you
It says more about how boring our team has become that we hold onto this drama with Kawhi. Let it go. Sucks but it is what it is. Same fans would fall over themselves talking REDEMPTION if he came back this summer r
Blah blah blah blah, everybody just needs to move on who cares. It’s not that deep. Both sides are right and wrong. People don’t need a long ass paragraph just to see your views.
When I go to Hawks game I don’t hear them booing Murray.
Pop forgot a simple rule: the customer is always right.
Not literally, I know, but Pop has been at the pinnacle so long he may have forgotten that he and the Spurs are a “product” the fans have no obligation to “buy.” The fans ultimately hold the power as a collective. Not even the GOAT coach can overcome that.
Zzzzz