If anyone watched the post game interview, Pop repeatedly said “YOU DON’T POKE THE BEAR”. Unless I missed something, he didn’t mention anything about “that’s not who we are” or anything about culture or anything along those lines. (in the post game interview)

I think he knows this about Kawhi: he is a bear that plays better poked.

Or maybe the team as a whole, and I think what Pop was trying to do by stopping the booing was to minimize the gas that was being continuously poured onto their fire. He was was trying to give the kids a better chance.

That’s what I choose to think and I am keeping my tinfoil hat on. GOSPURSGO

edit: I enjoy booing Kawhi just as much as the next Spurs fan, but if you told me “Don’t ask me how I know this, but if you stop booing right now, our odds of winning the game go way up.” I would probably stop to get the W.

  • Imaginary-Cycle-1977BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I think Pop overestimated his sway over the crowd in the moment and then just stuck to that talking point for the postgame regardless of whatever he was really trying to accomplish

  • NB_79BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Naw he was worried about his good buddy’s Kahwitter’s feelings. They’ve made up and he won’t tolerate slandering Kawhi’s feelings.

  • android24601BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    We may never know, but I had a buddy that was sitting by the Spurs bench that said some folks were shouting obscenities. Seems odd because typically, they’re pretty strict about that during bball games and will kick people out if there are complaints; must’ve been a lot of people doing it. Lots of families with their kids in attendance, so there usually isn’t a whole lot of tolerance for that kind of behavior

    • Electrical_Panic4550BEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Every time I sit behind the Spurs bench it’s awkwardly quiet there trying not to bother our team. Is it not like that this year?

      • android24601BEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Hmmm, not sure. If those jeers were that loud and plentiful, I could understand being intolerant of it. Thinking back, I really don’t doubt some folks may have been acting a fool. I remember his first game back when he came with the Raptors, people were harassing his Mom in the stands. It was definitely not a good look. I think there’s a video of it on the Web too

  • empowered676BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I thought we don’t care about winning anyway

    Make up your mind

  • guillaume_rxBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    He probably meant both statements.

    He just couldn’t say “Don’t poke the bear” out loud in the arena.

    And he couldn’t double down on the “yeah the fans are being disrespectful and petty about an old story they don’t know the full story about, even though he’s one of our 3 finals MVPs and got us a ring”.
    In a press conference, that’s a bit of a bad look and invites too many unwanted questions.

    So he said each in these 2 different situations.