Kawhi Leonard praises Gregg Popovich for his dedication after he retires from coaching.
SAN ANTONIO — Former San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers’ season is over after getting bounced out of the playoffs versus Denver. During his postgame conference session, he took a few minutes to give his thoughts on his first NBA coach, Gregg Popovich, stepping away from coaching.
“He had a phenomenal career. He coached until he pretty much couldn’t. It shows how much dedication he had to the game, how much he loved the game, and how much he gave the game. I appreciate everything he’s done for me,” Leonard said.
Leonard’s time in San Antonio did not end well. That move did not sit well with fans who still view him as enemy No. 1 and boo him relentlessly when he returns to San Antonio.
Yet, despite his turbulent exit from the Spurs, Popovich still did his best to protect Leonard from hearing Silver and Black fans from berating him with boos at home games to the point he took the Frost Bank Center Arena’s microphone and scolded fans to stop booing him.
IME UDOKA SAYS POP GAVE HIM SOME ADVISE DURING ROCKETS-WARRIORS PLAYOFF SERIES
Popovich may have stepped away from coaching, but he did give an extra coaching lesson to his former assistant coach and current Rockets head coach, Ime Udoka.
Before the Rockets lost in seven games to the Warriors in the postseason, Udoka said Pop gave him some advice on how to beat Golden State ahead of Game 6.
“He gave me some pointers,” Udoka said to The Athletic.
The advice seems to have worked, as the Rockets won 115-107 to force a Game 7.
Pop is a wealth of basketball knowledge, and many will continue to seek his advice.