Holy moses, even by most other pissed-off fanbase reactions this is rough as guts. Kawhi Leonard‘s exit from the San Antonio Spurs last off-season can most politely be described as “a big fucking mess“; the star forward made no bones about his desire to get the hell out of Texas and wound up hot-stepping it to Toronto after a protracted and intensely ugly trade negotiation.
[jwplayer OZACKE0F]
Today, Leonard made his return to the City of San Antonio for the first time since ditching the Spurs in no uncertain terms, with the Raptors travelling down to Texas on their first southern road trip of the season.
The fans ahhh… weren’t shy about things.
Despite a glowing tribute video to both him and fellow ex-Spur Danny Green, who was shipped off to the Raptors as part of the Kawhi trade, Spurs fans wasted no time in booing poor old Kawhi into absolute oblivion during the pre-game introductions.
Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green get introduced in San Antonio as members of the Raptors. pic.twitter.com/enErTW5ztu
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 4, 2019
Spurs fans response to Kawhi Leonard during the starting lineups. pic.twitter.com/coI0hIj2vN
— Stefano Fusaro (@S_Fusaro) January 4, 2019
Good GOD. That man might need a police escort out of the building. That’s approaching John Cena in Chicago at Money In The Bank 2011-levels of booing. That’s not just casual booing. That’s an entire arena standing up and emptying their lungs as hard as they can. Son of a bitch.
It didn’t stop there either.
Spurs fans continued the ferocious booing well into the game, giving Kawhi absolute hell anytime he got even remotely near the ball. That culminated in a moment late in the second quarter where Leonard went to the free throw line and not only copped heavy booing, but chants of “traitor” as well.
TRAITOR.
Spurs fans broke out a “traitor” chant when Kawhi Leonard was at the line. Emotions running high in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/UtMXisqCZD
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) January 4, 2019
Wow. Chants of traitor and massive boos for Kawhi Leonard pic.twitter.com/hKNZr997uT
— Nick Talbot (@NicholasRTalbot) January 4, 2019
Jesus CHRIST.
For what it’s worth, the treatment from the crowd apparently worked: Kawhi had an intensely quiet night, putting up a middling 21 points as the Raptors got squashed by the suddenly resurgent Spurs, 125 – 107.
Maybe consider just calling in crook next time the Raptors have to go to San Antonio, Kawhi. Hell’s bells.
