‘NOT WHO WE ARE’: San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shocks fans as he grabs mic & demands crowd stops booing Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard

LONGTIME NBA head coach Gregg Popovich has left viewers in shock after he called out San Antonio Spurs fans for booing mid-game.

The 74-year-old was quick to intervene when Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was heckled by Spurs supporters as the teams went head to head on Wednesday night.

Gregg Popovich grabbed a microphone and told fans to stop booing on WednesdayCredit: X/ BallySportsSA

Kawhi Leonard, played seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, was heckled by the crowd during the gameCredit: Getty

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich raised his arms to try and quieten the crowdCredit: Getty

The bizarre moment went down late in the second as the Spurs trailed 48-39 with the Clippers, Leonard, on the line shooting free throws.

Popovich stormed over to the microphone at the Frost Bank Center in Texas and blasted fans for their treatment of Leonard, who played for the franchise and helped win them a title in 2014.

“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play?

“It’s got no class. It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing,” Popovich told fans while Leonard was between free throws.

He then walked away and attempted to fire the crowd up with a gesture with his arms, prompting some fans to clap briefly.

However, the boos then quickly returned and were even louder.

NBA fans were stunned by the response from the Spurs coach and took to social media to share their reactions.

This fan expressed: “Only a legend like him could pull off such amazing moves! Who dares to even try?”

Another said: “It might be time for Pop to retire.”

A third was shocked: “I can see where he’s coming from because Kawhi was a big reason why Pop got his 5th ring. Spurs fans still mad about a trade request from 6 years ago is crazy.”

And a fourth condemned the act: “Soft league…you cant even boo the opposing player…what a time to be alive.”

Leonard played his first NBA game in a Spurs jersey after the organization traded for him in the 2011 draft.

He would go on to spend seven seasons in San Antonio and help the franchise win an NBA title in 2014.

But his departure from the team in 2018 was brutal, and Spurs fans seem not to have forgotten.

Leonard played in less than ten games during the 2017-18 season because of a lingering quad injury, despite the franchise allegedly disagreeing on the injury.

That saga led to the Spurs trading Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, where he won a championship before moving on to play for the Clippers for the past four seasons.

Kawhi Leonard and Gregg Popovich spoke together after the heated gameCredit: Getty

The top coach made his way back to the bench after calling out fansCredit: AP