NBA Exec Tells Bleacher Report That There's a 'Spurs Mafia' and Gregg Popovich is the Godfather

San Antonians know all about the Spurs family (just look at fan accounts on social media), but one basketball expert is saying the Spurs are more like a mafia.

In a Bleacher Report article published earlier this week, writer Ric Bucher compared head coach Gregg Popovich to the godfather, calling the rest of the franchise the "Spurs mafia."

Bucher's claim appeared in a lengthy article detailing Kawhi Leonard's transition to the Raptors and how the former Spur is settling in. While quotes from other Raptors players and coaches paint Leonard as the "nice guy," Bucher writes that the narrative of Leonard being overdramatic about his quad injury to get out of San Antonio painted him as the bad guy.

"...being in conflict with one of the league's most successful franchises—and coaches in Gregg Popovich—put him in the crosshairs of anyone who had to pick a side to blame," Bucher wrote, attributing the thought to an unnamed NBA executive.

"The San Antonio mafia is real," the executive told Bucher. "When the Godfather (Popovich) speaks, they're coming for you. He's the nicest kid in the world and all of a sudden he's an evil villain? He's not an angry kid. He's a sweetheart."

Spurs will just have to disagree on that one.

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