SAN ANTONIO – Spurs coach Gregg Popovich interjected during the second quarter of Wednesday’s matchup against the LA Clippers to chastise fans booing former franchise stalwart Kawhi Leonard.

As a raucous crowd at Frost Bank Center reached crescendo on the heels of Leonard draining the first of two free throws, Popovich gestured toward referee Tyler Ford, before walking to the scorer’s table and grabbing a microphone.

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

Popovich issued that plea with 3:06 remaining in the first half and his team trailing the Clippers, 48-39.

The crowd then erupted in even louder boos as Leonard hit his second free throw, extending the lead to 10. The home team’s fans likely also played a role in the Spurs rallying from a 17-point deficit to pull within six at intermission.

Popovich declined postgame to delve into details.

“I think anybody that knows anything about sports knows you don’t poke the bear,” he said.

Pressed further, the coach grew testy.

“That’s all I need to say. I just told you why I did it. I gave you the answer,” Popovich said. “There’s no other questions that need to be asked.”

The notoriously taciturn Leonard seemed unbothered by the reception in-arena.

“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they’re probably going to boo me for the rest of my career,” Leonard said. “They’re [some] of the best fans in the league and they’re very competitive. Once I step on this basketball court out here, they show they’re going for the other side. And when I’m on the streets or going into restaurants, they show love.”

Still, Spurs point guard Jeremy Sochan – who was drafted in 2022 – felt it was the right thing to do.

“[Leonard has] done so much for this organization,” Sochan said. “There’s no need to disrespect him like that. I guess it’s a part of the game, but at the same time he’s a human, too. I respect what coach Pop did.”

Leonard played the first seven seasons of his career for Popovich and the Spurs, winning a championship in 2014 along with Finals MVP and two Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. Disagreement about the best course for recovery from an injury that limited Leonard to just nine games in 2017-18 played a role in the five-time All-Star’s departure from San Antonio.

Leonard requested a trade in June 2018, and the Spurs obliged in July by sending him to Toronto in a deal that landed DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected first-round pick.

Popovich and Leonard have remained in contact despite the latter’s departure.

Leonard played only one season in Toronto, leading the Raptors to a 2019 NBA championship while landing his second Finals MVP award.

Leonard joined the Clippers the following July as a free agent.

Since leaving San Antonio in 2018, Leonard has experienced a rowdy crowd at Frost Bank Center that boos relentlessly during pregame introductions, and whenever the forward touches the ball or heads to the free-throw line.

A 12th-year veteran, Leonard entered Wednesday’s contest averaging 21.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.