So this happened earlier this week:
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich grabbed the microphone and chastised the crowd at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night, telling fans to stop booing former Spurs All-Star Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich said, silencing the crowd late in the first half. “Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play? Have a little class. It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”
It’s not who we are.
Powerful,
I’ve never ever heard of a coach grabbing the announcer’s microphone to address the crowd. Never. Gregg Popovich however, is not just any coach. He is now in his 28th year as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, his TWENTY-EIGHTH year. Kawhi Leonard was a star player and MVP of the NBA Finals on one of the several occasions where the Spurs won the NBA title. Spurs fans weren’t happy with the manner in which he left for another team, so they can tend to boo him when he comes back to play against the Spurs. Something about the booing last week, when Kawhi was waiting to take free throws and the crowd booing loudly, it must have been simply too much for Coach Pop.
It’s not who we are.
For a leader who is all about respect, integrity, care, and authenticity, to hear his fans boo someone who had been a major part of the team in years past, it was just too much.
It’s not who we are.
All leaders, at any level, can learn from Coach Pop. Be clear on who you are, behave that way, call yourself or anyone on your team out when you go outside of that culture, those values, those behavioural standards.
I hugely admire Coach Pop, and have written posts about and inspired by him and his approach on multiple occasions:
- Humble Leadership – that’s family business
- Believe in people that you believe in
- Give less advice
- Time Out tip – focus on one thing
Three thoughts from today
First, I’ve started coaching basketball again recently, coaching juniors for the first time. There is much for me yet to learn (from the head coach and from the players), and I am already finding it highly energising. Tomorrow I go to watch the team play for the first time, will simply sit on the bench and be there watching them, learning about them, how they play, how the head coach works with them, and leads them. In due time he will ask me to do more to support the team, and for now, the more I listen and learn, the more I will be of value to him and the team in time.
Second, the first post in the list above I wrote back on this daily blog in 2018, featuring two YouTube videos of the 2014 Spurs playing “the beautiful game”. Coach Pop is still there, nearly five years later. Their play at that moment in time in 2014 was the most beautiful team basketball I have ever seen.
Third, watch those videos, please. Watch them whether or not you love basketball or sports, watch them to see what happens when a team is selfless and plays for the team, plays for each other.