Footage of Gregg Popovich slamming Spurs fan for booing Kawhi Leonard goes viral and Tom Brady loves it
Tom Brady is fully behind Gregg Popovich's quite unprecedented decision on Wednesday night.
The legendary coach is one of the most successful head coaches in basketball having won five NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
Now into his 28th season as Spurs head coach, the fearsome 74-year-old showed he may have mellowed in his old age in a rare moment of courtside sentimentality.
Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers saw 'Coach Pop' reunite with Kawhi Leonard, who spent seven years under him in San Antonio, winning the NBA Championship and MVP award in 2014.
The superstar forward left Spurs under a cloud, forcing a trade after months of tension over his rehabilitation from injury.
Five years on and bitter Spurs fans let their feelings be known as Leonard stepped to the free-throw line.
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The Frost Bank Center crowd unleashed a chorus of boos as the Clippers forwards prepared to take the first of two shots with just over three minutes left to play in the first half.
In response, Popovich grabbed the PA announcer's microphone to demand the home fans stop booing their former star.
"Excuse me for a second," Popovich said to the crowd. "Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play? Have a little class. That's not who we are. Knock off the booing."
Footage of the intervention quickly went viral on social media as thousands of NBA fans rushed to celebrate Popovich's sportsmanship, including one NFL icon.
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Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady replied to the viral clip: "Love this."
Popovich's plea ultimately fell on deaf ears and instead riled Spurs fans into more vociferous abuse.
The boos continued throughout the game every time Leonard touched the ball.
Popovich denied he was protecting Leonard out of any paternal instinct, insisting he feared the abuse would offer Leonard extra motivation to perform.
"I think anybody that knows anything about sports, you don't poke the bear," Popovich said.
After the game Leonard claimed he was unaware Popovich's dramatic intervention had taken place. "I was just in the moment trying to knock down my free throws," he said.
"If I don't have a Spurs jersey on, they're probably going to boo me the rest of my career," Leonard said.
"But I mean it is what it is. Like I said, they're one of the best fans in the league and they're very competitive. Once I step out on this basketball court out here, they show that they're going for the other side.
"When I'm on the streets or going into restaurants, they show love. So it is what it is."