Everything Kawhi Leonard

[SkywalkerAC]

In Pop's defense, Kawhi did basically quit on their team last year (with some justified excuse due to injury) and forced a trade (thank goodness from our POV). Kawhi basically says as much: "I don't know if he's talking about last year or not. I guess when you stop playing they forget how you lead... It doesn't matter."

Also, exertion of leadership is something that can really change in a new setting.

[The Great One]

Pops is just sour and salty. Pretty low considering it came from him.

Lol look at you. You were leading the "Vince Carter quit on the Raptors" convo a couple of days ago and now you're here defending Kawhi.

Let's be honest here. Kawhi Leonard QUIT on the Spurs last year. What he did was worse than what Vince did. Vince didn't really quit, the idiot Babcock just decided to trade him.

IF Kawhi decides to move on in the offseason, you're probably going to lead the Kawhi quit on the Raptors talk as well.

[A.I]

I don’t think Kawhi had much of an opportunity to be a leader in SA, especially considering his quiet demeanor. The Spurs for most of Kawhi’s years there had Duncan, Manu and Parker, all have been there for their whole careers, all veterans and all 3 no doubt were leaders of the team.

[The Claw Reborn]

Pops is just sour and salty. Pretty low considering it came from him.

Haha. Did you not just went out of your way to call me out the other day because of my praised towards Vince Carter and saying that he quit more than a decade ago. My apologies that I have to emphasized the timeline .

To say now that Pop is just sour and salty makes me smile a bit especially coming from you. You’re such a funny guy.

Cheers buddy !

[Hotshot]

I really like Chris Webber as a former player take on this:

[TacoBreath]

I don’t think Kawhi had much of an opportunity to be a leader in SA, especially considering his quiet demeanor. The Spurs for most of Kawhi’s years there had Duncan, Manu and Parker, all have been there for their whole careers, all veterans and all 3 no doubt were leaders of the team.

Yes, that's the fact of it. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobilli were both here until the end of last season. They both wear multiple championship rings, and are probably headed to the HOF. They were the undisputed team leaders, along with Duncan until he retired. So the leadership positions were already filled, while Kawhi was here, even tho Kawhi became the best player.

It's unfair to criticize Kawhi for lack of leadership when there was never any leadership vacancy for him to fill. You start out your career on a team that already has three HOF players, and the leadership possibilities will be dam' few.

[Chr1s1anL]

To be fair what Leonard did last year is the furthest thing from being a leader. Quitting on a team. Not even showing up for playoffs games....

[Yuri Gagarin]

VC quit on the team because Babcock wouldnt let him play quasi GM anymore. Kawhi quit on the team because they didnt think he was injured. Big difference.

[KeonClark]

VC quit on the team because Babcock wouldnt let him play quasi GM anymore. Kawhi quit on the team because they didnt think he was injured. Big difference.

Nobody here knows the full story. Nobody but Kawhi and pop and their innermost circles know the full story. And that's fine, but it's a little disingenuous for us to say spurs were completely in the wrong

[A.I]

Nobody here knows the full story. Nobody but Kawhi and pop and their innermost circles know the full story. And that's fine, but it's a little disingenuous for us to say spurs were completely in the wrong

When there is no clear cut proof, I blame both sides. Spurs handled Kawhi’s injury poorly and Kawhi didn’t do any better by intentionally sitting games and not travelling with the team in the Playoffs.

[TacoBreath]

... Kawhi quit on the team because they didnt think he was injured. Big difference.

That's actually backwards. The team quit on Kawhi. They effectively told him they didn't want him. He listened, and he keft.

[KeonClark]

That's actually backwards. The team quit on Kawhi. They effectively told him they didn't want him. He listened, and he keft.

How so?

[golden]

I have to blame the Spurs here because they never actually put a max contract deal in front of Kawhi while he was hurt - which would have been a great gesture to take any trust issues off the table. They probably wanted to see him play extended minutes to make sure he was fully healthy before making the huge financial committment - a big deal for a small market team. That's why they were rushing him back. And Uncle Dennis didn't want Kawhi to be like Duncan, Parker & Ginobili and take a discount, which is the Spurs way.

Neither side is ever going to say publicly this was about money. But it's always about money - at least part of it. Or sometimes all of it.

[LJ2]

I have to blame the Spurs here because they never actually put a max contract deal in front of Kawhi while he was hurt - which would have been a great gesture to take any trust issues off the table. They probably wanted to see him play extended minutes to make sure he was fully healthy before making the huge financial committment - a big deal for a small market team. That's why they were rushing him back. And Uncle Dennis didn't want Kawhi to be like Duncan, Parker & Ginobili and take a discount, which is the Spurs way.

Neither side is ever going to say publicly this was about money. But it's always about money - at least part of it. Or sometimes all of it.

You know this for a fact? I'm guessing Masai has already offered him a contract, but it doesn't necessarily need to have gotten out to the public. Spurs and Raptors organizations run a tight ship if you believe what everyone is always saying.

[DanH]

You know this for a fact? I'm guessing Masai has already offered him a contract, but it doesn't necessarily need to have gotten out to the public. Spurs and Raptors organizations run a tight ship if you believe what everyone is always saying.

Why would Masai offer him a contract? There's no way Kawhi would sign the max extension they could offer - the extension offer would be insulting. If he stays, he'll do so in free agency.

The Spurs could offer him the supermax extension in-season or in the summer before the trade. It's been pretty consistently reported throughout the past 6 months that they never did so.