What is telling is how some Spurs fans treat Kawhi. I understand being upset for a year or two, but it’s been more than 5 years. If I was a player, that makes it seem like a shit fanbase. Now, see it through the lens of a 19 y.o. generational talent, those are some early warning signs.
I don’t think it damages his coaching legacy. If anything, it cements it. The lack of ego and passion for the game needed to look at the kids and say, you know what, I’m having as fun as any even if we don’t win much. Phil would never.
So yeah, I still trust in Pop. There’s a couple things you learn about the man - he’s worldly, relationship-based, and always sees the big picture. It’s always bigger than basketball, and winning is not the end-all-be-all of the team the same way big franchises like the Lakers do it where they can gut a whole roster to take a chance at winning.
However, just as the Spurs ain’t just about Tim before, the coaching ain’t just about Pop. It’s fair to say that the challenge might have been the brain drain. Assistant coaches become coaches someplace else and are thriving. Pop’s obviously happy about it, but that meant having to develop new coaching staff as well.
I know what a churro is and even I got confused when Chuck said cheeros. It sounded like the cereal gone wrong.
Remember when he said, point sochan can look great at times and other times not so much? We’re in the not so much and he knows it and embraces it as part of the experience.
I’m arguing for why Pop did it and what it could mean for players. Pop is expecting decency from the fanbase and a level of respect to former players who factored in us winning championships. This goes to show that Pop has got Spurs players’ backs through and through.
Obviously, we have a long history of stellar players who loved it here - players who say that it’s a great organization with a great fanbase. There are loud voices though currently in the fanbase that have not been reflective of that said “great fanbase.” We can always cite Duncan, Robinson, Ginobili, Parker, etc. but how we treat Sochan, Keldon, Collins, Vassell, Jones, etc. matters as well.
You can’t have a culture of patience, hard work, discipline, and consistency espoused by Pound the Rock and then have “fans” shit on the team for not giving Victor all the touches, demand trades, and even argue that Pop has lost it. That doesn’t make sense as well. Now factor in booing a former star. Not too good of a look.