NBA – Tony Parker tackled in the Kawhi Leonard episode at the Spurs and sorely accused

Par Mathieu Seguin | Rédacteur sport

Did Kawhi Leonard leave the Spurs because of Tony Parker? Some believe so, with the former point guard making negative comments about his famous injury in Texas. He is considered responsible by some.

Even if he’s on good terms with Gregg Popovich and some members of the organization, we know that Kawhi Leonard’s experience with the Spurs ended rather badly. His knee injury caused a lot of drama, with some accusing the player of overdoing it. The fans were very critical of him, as were certain members of the squad.

For example, Tony Parker openly questioned the player’s willingness to return. The former point guard had used his personal experience to suggest that his injury was much worse, but that he had managed to come back. So at the time, the point guard was trying to understand why Kawhi couldn’t do the same.

When Tony Parker lashed out at Kawhi Leonard

Tony Parker on Kawhi Leonard’s injury a long time ago: “I went through that too. It was an 8-month rehab on my side. Same as Kawhi, except mine was much worse. But the same type of injury, and you stay positive despite everything.”

A statement that caused quite a stir across the Atlantic, with a barrage of criticism against TP, who was accused of pushing Kawhi towards the exit.

It’s hard to believe that this simple statement is responsible for everything that’s happened, because even Danny Green, a former member of the club, thinks that the player’s uncle had a big influence behind his trade request. But Stephen Jackson, far from being a Parker fan, thinks the Frenchman is guilty. He spoke in a podcast on the subject.

Stephen Jackson: “The Spurs didn’t fight for Kawhi in public. Tony (Parker) had this injury and he was out for a long time, and Kawhi never said anything. And when there were questions about Kawhi’s forfeit, Tony started saying “I had the same injury” and wondered if Kawhi was really hurt, all on national air. That pushed him out…. For those who didn’t know.”

For Jackson, Parker is in any case clearly responsible for what happened. The situation actually seems more complex, since Gregg Popovich has also made a few comments, while his uncle is said to have been pushing for a departure behind the scenes. A decidedly thorny soap opera, and one about which we don’t know everything according to LaMarcus Aldridge.