Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Kawhi Leonard has interesting response to Spurs fans booing him

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Jan 31, 2025 12:59 AM ET

It's been nearly seven years since Kawhi Leonard departed from San Antonio. Yet, the Spurs fan base hasn't forgotten the mysterious circumstances under which he requested a trade from the franchise.

During his first trip back to San Antonio in 2019, Leonard was serenaded with boos and chants of "traitor" — a reaction that Gregg Popovich strongly condemned. On Wednesday, the Clippers star was greeted with similar negativity during the starting lineup introductions at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. As noted by The Athletic's Law Murray, the Spurs fan base once again ignored Popovich's plea.

San Antonio didn’t listen to Pop, they are still booing Kawhi Leonard pic.twitter.com/HMGxMh8IAF
— Law Murray (@LawMurrayTheNU) January 30, 2025

The boos intensified throughout the game, which saw Leonard drop 27 points from a season-high 29 minutes. The star forward has been ramping up his minutes since making his season debut on Jan. 4 after missing a chunk of games with a knee inflammation.

Leonard also poured in seven assists and six rebounds as the Clippers completed a 128-116 win over Victor Wembanyama's Spurs.

After the game, Leonard said he understands why the Spurs fan base holds a grudge against him. He implied that the fans were justified to boo him due to the caliber of player he is and the "pain" they felt in losing him seven years ago. Leonard added that he doesn't feel extra motivation to excel against the Spurs due to their history.

Kawhi Leonard on Spurs fans booing him:

“It’s just because the player I am. And what I’ve done here. So it’s a little pain in the heart still. It’s still love in the city wherever I go. But obviously when I put on that different jersey, they have a great fanbase, so they’re… pic.twitter.com/NbsTGCi6GQ
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 30, 2025

Leonard was long believed to be Tim Duncan's successor in a Spurs uniform. He was on pace to be just that after helping the franchise capture the 2014 title and leading it to a 67-15 record in 2015-16. However, he reportedly fell out with the team's medical staff in 2018, leading to his eventual trade request.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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