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Toronto Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard was booed all night on Thursday in his return to San Antonio by Spurs fans, but the two-time Defensive Player of the Year told reporters after the game that the jeers didn't affect him at all.
The Raptors lost to the Spurs by a final score of 125-107. Kawhi Leonard, who was booed during the starting lineup introductions and every time he touched the ball on offense, finished with 21 points, one rebound and five assists in 33 minutes of action.
Leonard, a two-time All-Star with the Spurs and the 2014 Finals MVP, says the media did a great job of influencing the fans in San Antonio, implying that the fans believed everything they read about him:
Was Kawhi disappointed by the boos? "No. Media does a great job to stir people's minds and influence them to think a certain way. So I already knew that's how it was going to be."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) January 4, 2019
Kawhi Leonard only played in nine games last season and he requested a trade last summer. Leonard reportedly didn't like the way his quadriceps injury was handled by the Spurs doctors, and that ultimately led to his trade request.
Boos aren't going to affect high level athletes. If anything, it will give them more adrenaline to perform even better. However, Kawhi Leonard is probably happy this night is over with. Now, he and the Raptors can just focus on basketball.
With the loss, Toronto dropped to 28-12. They still have the best record in the NBA.
