The previous Spurs gamers reveal why Kawhi Leonard left San Antonio – Tony Parker’s feedback and the affect of Uncle Dennis performed a key function Initially appeared on Bland world.
Kawhi Leonard Departure San Antonio Spurs In 2019, one of the vital mysterious and most debated breaks within the historical past of the NBA stays. For years, hypothesis turned on what led to the silent and stoic celebrity which made its strategy to get out of the mannequin of the league.
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Now, years later, former Spurs teammates and Stephen Jackson,, Danny InexperiencedAnd Lamarcus Aldridge shed new gentle on Leonard’s exit by their appearances on all of the smoke.
Danny Inexperienced, who performed alongside Kawhi and gained a championship in San Antonio, admitted that even he had by no means obtained the complete story of Leonard instantly.
“I’ve by no means, till at the present time, I’ve by no means requested Kawhi, me and he, what occurred.”
Nonetheless, he alluded to a central affect behind the scenes, Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, typically referred to as Uncle Dennis.
“I feel that his uncle had quite a lot of what to do with what’s going on, quite a lot of affect. And as soon as his uncle noticed disagreeable issues in his thoughts, it was like” very effectively, we do not do this. “Cuz San Antonio, they do not deal with anybody like superstars.
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“However Timmy did not do it. Pop by no means had Timmy like that as a result of Timmy by no means wanted, by no means cared to be that. However I feel, you recognize, Kawhi was injured, Tony stated issues within the media, then Pop stated issues within the media.”
“Uncle Dennis was like,” Nah “, as a result of Kawhi returned for 9 video games, and after that, he was like, you had been in a position to speak to the individuals of Kawhi.”
Inexperienced highlighted the cultivation of Spurs with out celebrity, noting that Tim DuncanThe largest participant within the crew has by no means wanted particular therapy. Nonetheless, the Kawhi camp would have felt with out respect, particularly after taking part in solely 9 video games in the course of the 2017-2018 season resulting from a quad damage.
The strain has intensified when Tony Parker Made public feedback involving Kawhi’s damage was not as severe. Stephen Jackson, who performed for the Spurs for a number of stays, harassed that it was a breakdown.
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“When the injured issues fell, how they didn’t struggle for him in public. As Tony had an damage. And Tony was launched for a very long time. Kawhi by no means stated. There have been questions concerning the causes for Kawhi was absent.”
“And Tony was like” effectively, I had the identical damage, and I got here again “, questioning if he was actually injured on nationwide tv. It pushed him simply on the door. For individuals who didn’t know.”
Jackson and Aldridge agreed that the group had not supported Kawhi publicly in the course of the controversy of accidents. Aldridge, visibly uncomfortable whereas revisiting the topic, merely famous,
“When somebody is able to go away, it is able to go away. That is all I’ve to say about it. When somebody is able to go away, it is able to go away.”
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Inexperienced supported this sense, saying that there have been early “rumors” that Kawhi would by no means agree in San Antonio once more. The dearth of transparency, mixed with a inflexible tradition which was not even leaned for rising stars, let Leonard really feel alienated.
Stress was not restricted to the Kawhi saga. Jackson shared anecdotes of his time in San Antonio, explaining how his frank nature got here up towards the inflexible system of the spurs. Inexperienced recalled that Jackson had been out of the blue minimize and changed by Tracy McGrady after having pushed too arduous in observe.
“Stack was going out. I keep in mind that very strongly, however Stack won’t simply let individuals speak to him. He won’t simply let the coaching go as they’re presupposed to do. It is a sport. We’re going to discuss s ** t.”
“We observe it. Within the system, they like issues which have made their manner. We are going to execute this room, and you’re presupposed to deceive it or one thing else. Stack is like:” No, and in the event that they did that? “” Nicely, they will not do this. “”
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“Principally, Jack was speaking. I did not see a battery after that.”
Retrospectively, Leonard’s exit was not a part of an damage. It was a fruits of distrust, dangerous communication and cultural disparaging.
Remarks at a very good time to Parker to the rising concern of Uncle Dennis as to the way in which through which his nephew was handled, the welded and sometimes secret setting of the Spurs fell underneath the load of a star of the brand new period who wished each transparency and respect.
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Whereas the Spurs have moved, the state of affairs serves as a story inbuilt relations with gamers; Even probably the most disciplined organizations of the NBA are usually not proof against the interior fracture.
This story was initially reported by Bland world On Could 31, 2025, the place he appeared for the primary time.
