Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters during a post game presser that for his team to improve, they need to “get tired of getting your ass kicked.” Credit: Meredith Garcia

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won’t face repercussions for grabbing the microphone last month and telling fans to stop booing Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday.

During the first half of a Nov. 22 home game, Popovich marched to the scorer’s table and grabbed the microphone while Leonard was about to shoot a free throw. The coach urged Spurs fans to stop booing Leonard, a former Spur.

“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich said. “Can we stop all the bull and let these guys play? It’s got no class. That’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

Leonard has drawn repeated jeers from Alamo City fans since leaving the Spurs during the 2018-19 season amid a dispute over his health. He played only nine games in the season prior. Although cleared to play by team doctors, Leonard refused.

While Popovich’s Nov. 22 mic time grabbed national headlines and caused some fans already sour over the team’s ongoing 14-game losing streak to boo louder, league honcho Silver said Pop won’t receive a fine or punishment.

“I think what Coach Popovich did was unique in that situation,” Silver said during a SiriusXM NBA radio interview Tuesday. “You have one of the all-time greatest coaches in the NBA, having been part of a franchise for a record number of years, having a unique relationship with those fans, feeling comfortable and delivering a message to those fans.”

Silver also noted “some things are just one-offs.”

Even so, Popovich may need to get used to boos.

Despite landing phenom Victor Wembanyama in the draft, the Silver are Black have a worse record than last year at this time. The franchise also holds the second-worst record in the league as of press time.

The Spurs will try to snap the losing streak Wednesday in a matchup against the No. 1 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

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This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 12, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...