The San Antonio Spurs held a closed door players-only meeting imploring their star forward Kawhi Leonard to return this season and help the team make a final push for the playoffs, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The players, reportedly led by veteran point guard Tony Parker, who suffered a quad injury similar to Leonard's, met with the star after Saturday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The conversation was said to be tense and emotional at times, per Wojnarowski's sources; with many teammates speaking up, expressing frustration and confusion over a growing divide with Leonard that has created significant tension between him and the franchise.

The Spurs have refuted claims of a rift with Leonard, but the frustration has now extended beyond a systematic divide, and flooded into the locker room, as the team is no longer holding onto the third seed, as they did most of the season, now fighting tooth and nail to grab a hold of a playoff spot — in danger of ending a 20-year run of excellence.

The 26-year-old insisted he had good reason for sitting out the majority of this season with a right quad injury, even though Parker, who sustained a full tear in his, was able to come back a lot sooner following his very own procedure.

Leonard has been cleared for just about any activity prior to a return, but the call to get back on the floor remains solely his and in his sense of comfort — something that has his teammates utterly frustrated.

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Chris Paul in a Spurs uniform on left. Victor Wembanyama on right.

Joey Mistretta ·

Clippers Kawhi Leonard with speech bubble "I'm back" with Mavericks Luka Doncic smaller in background.

Tomer Azarly ·

Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs logo

Hector Ledesma ·

Veterans Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills said that they're prepared to go the rest of the season without an expectation of Leonard rejoining them — likely an insight of a sour ending to their meeting with the star.

“He is not coming back,” Ginobili said. “For me, he's not coming back because it's not helping [to think Leonard is returning]. We fell for it a week ago again. I guess you guys made us fall for it. But we have to think that he's not coming back, that we are who we are, and that we got to fight without him. That shouldn't be changing, at least until he is ready for the jump ball.”