It’s kinda funny to me how uncoachable a lot of the city has been on this.

While it’s not the greatest look to chastise the fans in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. Nothing Pop did or said was wrong.

A) People act like Pop said dudes would get thrown out of the building if they kept booing. He made his plea. He found out immediately it didn’t work, and he accepted that outcome by 1. Not trying again 2. Not bringing it up again. After the game, he very well could have chastised the fans for not listening or said he didn’t like it. He did neither, and we know Pop speaks his mind when he is inclined.

B) Pop has way more access to varied perspectives on the perception of treating Kawhi like this from other players, our players, opposing coaches, NBA executives, etc. Whether it’s the difference between getting a free agent or not, we’re actively making their jobs harder in recruitment for very little gain of booing Kawhi relentlessly. I’d have to wonder if even our own players aren’t feeling it, and that added to Pop wanting to say something. I’m guessing the perception of this doesn’t bathe our organization in glory. Pop very much could have been trying to put our fan base on game, and we told him to eff off.

C) He’s just straight up right. This fan base is extremely petty about Kawhi. I’m surprised it’s even up for debate that he’s right about that part. It’s not classy behavior. Now you can say we don’t care about being classy and want to embrace pettiness, and that’s everyone’s right, but it can’t be argued that it’s extremely petty to be doing this five years later. For a fanbase that prides itself on being first class – even if we were wronged – it’s petty behavior to still not have turned the other cheek five years later, especially knowing now the outcome was Wemby. People keep excusing this as other fanbases this and that, but I was led to believe Spurs culture was above that kinda group think. And tbh I don’t think other fanbases do this. James Harden is a directly applicable situation, and I don’t think Houston treats him like this.

I get this opinion will be unpopular. And if you want to boo Kawhi, that’s your right. It’s was also Pops right to say stop because it’s pointless, makes us look petty, it’s time to move past it into the next chapter and there’s almost no positives that come from it. At best, it does nothing. At worst, it motivates Kawhi and turns off outsiders who may have otherwise liked what the Spurs offer.

I suspect all that, as well as his personal relationship with Kawhi were factors. I also find it odd that people are so desperate to hold onto this sports hate. It literally does nothing for anyone when we should be look to a bright future with Wemby not old pains with Kawhi. Pop wants this organization/city/sports trauma to heal and its kinda sad people are turning it into something nasty about Pop.

TLDR: Pop is right, but people are so determined to stick up for their right to boo Kawhi that they are missing the perspective. Pop probably has that goes beyond the San Antonio bubble and pain.

  • dwrek24
    OPBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    So there’s a little nuance to that point in multiple regards that I think doesn’t make it absurd because I’m not saying this will definitely effect our free agency chances. But I think fans really underestimate that players are human beings and things stick with them. Seeing a former franchise player who helped bring a title to the team be relentless boo’d could be one of those things.

    So firstly my point was it can only be a negative. It’s not going to help bring a player here. There’s no player who looks at this situation and says “man it’s super cool that Spurs fans boo a man to death who helped send their Hall of Famers out with one more ring”

    It can only serve to be nothing at all or a detriment. That’s why I called it pointless. At best, it does nothing. It doesn’t affect Kawhi (he still balls on us). It has no effect on anything of the court. But at worst, it’s effecting our perception around the league.

    No I don’t think a player is turning down a bigger contract with us because of this. But when all things are equal could our perception around the league taking a hit affect it. Yes that’s possible.

    And ultimately why take that chance when booing Kawhi has zero value. It makes the fans feel good and that’s it.

    But my ultimate point was this. Pop isn’t dumb. He did this for a reason. We don’t know what that reason is.

    Either our players weren’t feeling it. He’s been told this is a bad look by other outside parties. Or he literally just was sticking up for a player he cares about and felt protective of.

    I think its unwise not to examine why Pop who has never said anything about booing before was suddenly compelled to speak.

    But I think people are too busy being mad at being told what to do to consider that maybe Pop was reacting to something bigger than “he’s senile and wants to grandstand”

    When people do something extraordinarily out of the norm, I’m interested in the why.

    I was hoping people would get curious too but most people just want to talk about how booing is awesome and a God-given fan right.

    And you think I’m reading too much into it and fine cool. But more than anything I just think it makes us look like lames.

    Lames stuck on an ex when we got something new.

    Also I don’t think Pacers fans boo Paul George. And they definitely don’t boo him every single time he touches the ball every trip five years later.