“Didn’t fight for him in public!” Kawhi Leonard’s breaking point for leaving San Antonio Spurs REVEALED by ex-teammate

Ex-teammates provide insights as to what went wrong in the Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs split.

“Didn’t fight for him in public!” Kawhi Leonard’s breaking point for leaving San Antonio Spurs REVEALED by ex-teammate

Stephen Jackson and LaMarcus Aldridge provide insights as to what actually happened between the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard (image via Twitter)

The Kawhi Leonard-San Antonio Spurs fallout became something unexpected. Everyone wondered what went wrong between the team and the up-and-coming superstar they drafted. A couple of ex-Spurs players had some input.

On the show, All The Smoke, hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson spoke with guest LaMarcus Aldridge. The topic of Kawhi Leonard’s departure from the Spurs came up during the podcast. This is what Aldridge said: 

When somebody ready to go, they ready to go.
LaMarcus Alridge via All the Smokes
YouTube video

Aldridge pointed towards Jackson, saying they knew there were many things they didn’t actually know about what happened. But Jackson added:

FS Video
It came down to how they didn't fight for him in public. When Tony Parker questioned if Kawhi was really hurt, that pushed him out of the door.
Stephen Jackson via All the Smokes

Jackson and Aldridge eventually agreed that Leonard did not want to learn or do things that Gregg Popovich wanted. He just wanted to play basketball. The saga of Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs did not sit well with everyone. Recently, when Kawhi returned to play in San Antonio, he received boos from the crowd.

Leonard was traded to the Spurs after being drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2011. He developed into an elite two-way player. His performance improved over his rookie season, and he was promoted to a starter role alongside Spurs greats Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

This improvement in his game was such that he was voted the Finals MVP during their 2014 NBA Championship run. His impact on the Spurs during the championship run remains unmatched.

Kawhi Leonard and a stellar career

Kawhi Leonard has consistently performed as one of the top players in the league. His health has impacted his career to a great extent. However, he rarely has a bad night whenever he is on the court. He has career averages of 19.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3 assists. However, it is the impact on games that defines his game.

According to the two ex-Spurs, Kawhi Leonard was not a fan off Gregg Popovich's coaching methods
According to the two ex-Spurs, Kawhi Leonard was not a fan of Gregg Popovich’s coaching methods (image via Twitter)

Leonard is an exceptional defender. An elite wing defender by nature and clutch shooting added to that is what most teams aspire to in their star players. Leonard does not stuff the stat sheets with his defending, but other teams playing against Leonard are wary of his perimeter defense.

The two-time Finals MVP and Champion is a great player. But apparently, he was not very keen on strong coaching. At least, that is understood from what Jackson and Aldridge are saying. Nevertheless, Kawhi has had a good start to the 2023/24 NBA season.

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