the first half of the team’s Wednesday, November 22, 2023, NBA basketball game in San Antonio versus the Los Angeles Clippers. (Photo by Darren Abate/AP)

On Monday, November 20, in San Antonio, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, head coach Gregg Popovich gave his players instructions.

AP SAN FRANCISCO Gregg Popovich, the coach of San Antonio, had no remorse about taking the microphone and pleading with the home audience to stop jeering at Kawhi Leonard, calling the taunting of the Spurs player hateful and mean-spirited.

Before the Spurs’ game against the Warriors on Friday night, Popovich stated, “Absolutely not.” It’s not too difficult to comprehend. After listening to it for a while, the noise only kept getting louder and uglier, and I started to feel bad for him and ashamed for our city and organization.

“Because we haven’t been that way for the past 25 years; that’s not who we are.” It’s the complete antithesis of how we’ve operated in the community and carried ourselves.”

Even though Popovich praised the fans for their years of support and called the supporters’ actions a “one-off,” he still thought it was incredibly disrespectful to treat former Spurs All-Star Leonard—who is currently with the Clippers—that way on his return to Frost Bank Center.