via @mikedlp/Instagram
This Kawhi Leonard story is one of the weirdest sports stories I’ve ever seen and somehow last night it went to a whole new level. This one really has NBA Twitter losing their shitt this morning.
So for those out of the loop, Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played a game for the Spurs since January, despite being cleared by team doctors. He apparently got a second opinion from another doctor and decided he wasn’t ready. That lasted for the rest of the season and through the playoffs. Where things get strange is that he hasn’t been with the team this entire team. He’s basically just been chilling in New York rehabbing. He went to zero Spurs playoff games and just hung out on the east coast while his squad got manhandled by the Warriors. Basically what I’m saying is that the Spurs-Kawhi relationship isn’t incredible right about now.
Fast forward to last night and who do we see taking in a nice Thursday evening Dodger game in Los Angeles? I’m sure Lakers fans will have a reasonable reaction to this and not jump to any immediate conclusions.
It's been just over two weeks since the Spurs were eliminated. Kawhi Leonard wasn't able to attend a single playoff game.
Tonight, he caught a Dodgers game in LA. This will definitely be your Laker fan-friend's new favorite video.
(🎥courtesy @Mike_delaPena) pic.twitter.com/EimDhUCcdj
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 11, 2018
So just to recap: he played a grand total of 9 games this year and missed basically the entire 2nd half of the season even after being cleared by team doctors, then he skipped out on every Spurs playoff game due to his rehab process in New York, and two weeks later, he’s out in LA doing the damn thing. This off-season should be fun.
Hate to burst any Laker fan bubbles here…
It’s one of Popovich’s cardinal rules not to help Western Conference rivals, much less one with the tradition and resources of the Lakers.
Popovich almost never says a bad word about another team, but he went bonkers in 2008 when Memphis traded Pau Gasol to the post-Shaquille O’Neal Lakers, setting them up for three consecutive Finals runs and two titles.
“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” Popovich said at the time. “… I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”
