After a season filled with drama and frustrations, the San Antonio Spurs decided to part ways with Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs sent Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for a trade package including DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and 2019 protected first-round pick. Leonard’s trade destination came as a surprise for most NBA fans, but his departure in San Antonio was somewhat expected since the 2018 NBA offseason started.
However, according to ESPN , Spurs legend David Robinson is still puzzled by Kawhi Leonard’s Spurs exit, calling it “one of the oddest situations” he’s seen since entering in the NBA. Robinson, who described Leonard as a “hard guy,” is not buying that idea that the Spurs forced the disgruntled superstar to play during the 2017-18 NBA season despite being uncomfortable with his quad injury.
One of the major reasons why Leonard decided to leave the Spurs was the way they handled his injury. Despite being medically cleared to play, Leonard decided to remain sideline and told the team that he still felt some discomfort with his injury. However, some of his teammates didn’t believe his excuse and urge him to play for the team in the Western Conference Playoffs.
David Robinson stood firm that the Spurs are not the type of team that risks their player’s health. The Spurs have the reputation for taking care of their players too much, and there are times when they are criticized for resting their key players. However, Robinson believes all they can do now is to move on and focus on the team’s future.
Jordan Brand is going to let Kawhi Leonard walk when his contract expires later this year, per @NickDePaula pic.twitter.com/s9XAVWcgtc
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) July 24, 2018
In a recent appearance on ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols, David Robinson recalled the times he spent with Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio. With his quiet nature, Robinson revealed how difficult it was to communicate with the All-Star forward.
“He really, he’s a hard guy,” Robinson said. “He’s just quiet. He doesn’t… I’ve reached out to him several times and just never hear anything back from him. I think the whole time he’s been here [in San Antonio], I’ve talked to him maybe a handful of times, and I can count on one hand how many words he’s really said to me. So he’s just a quiet guy, and I think that that’s made it difficult, I think, for all parties to really understand each other in this process.”
After he was sent to the Raptors, David Robinson said that he is yet to have a communication with Kawhi Leonard. But Robinson revealed that he had already talked to Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson.
