LaMarcus Aldridge on Kawhi’s conflict with Greg Popovich: “Kawhi also didn’t want to do Pop’s learning stuff. He just wanted to hoop. Not everyone wants to learn about what’s in Africa or learn the maps”
Full Interview Source: [All the Smoke Podcast](https://youtu.be/DbrXaw1hKOI?si=siliF0hLRTfNFRyv)
Pop trying to teach the one and done guys and straight to the league guys basic geography lmao
TheyCallMeTheWizard
I must be in the dark, because I had no idea Pop runs his team like black history month on the side
zarogthegreat
Can somebody give context to this? I have never heard of learning maps and about Africa as something an NBA coach does. I just have no idea what Aldridge is talking about.
Wazflame
Now that’s a quote lmao
CudjoeKey
So Pop was giving them geography homework? That’s hilarious.
AccomplishedFront563
Just imagining popovitch trying to teach Kawhi about Africa 😆
Crisis_Averted
“Fuck Africa.” — Kawhi Leonard
Apollo611
Pop got Wemby learning about the french revolution
ffordedor
Pop thinks he’s Coach Carter
Not_a__porn__account
Pop has coached a lot of international players.
When you meet people from other countries you quickly realize we’re taught fuck all in the US.
It was probably fucking embarrassing to have players not be able to point to where a team mate was born.
Everyone acting like this is some nonsense.
Learning is good.
Players don’t go to college. They don’t continue their educations.
Look at Kyrie.
Prevent future Kyries by picking up a book.
throwawaythursday99
On the flip side Stephen Jax once said on a Dan Patrick podcast that Pops runs the team like it’s an actual job/class. Players seem to take issue with his approach bc Pops gives the guys homework and what not.
screwt
Come on guys you didn’t do your African geography homework! That’s NOT who we are!
DJBabyB0kCh0y
I know he doesn’t mean it like that but referring to it as “that leaning shit” cracks me up.
CoaxHoax
> I remember Pop made us watch a penguin National Geographic movie,” DeRozan told ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “It was very interesting. It was basically learning about teamwork. How to come together as one and go after a common goal, whatever that goal was. I thought it was going to be a day where we watch film. But we watched a full penguin movie — and it was the most interesting shit”
Works for some, not everyone
Hot_Injury7719
“Bored man get paid” – Kawhi to Pop
lycosid
Border man gets paid
Fr0_oz3n
Pop has a lot of jewelry. More than most coaches.
Soooo…must be something to it.
That being said, I get it.
ktdotnova
PARKER LITERALLY WAS SAYING THAT IN SUPPORT AND TO BE OPTIMISTIC OF KAWHI COMING BACK.
Horror-Percentage735
Kawhi about it
TwitchTVBeaglejack
Pop is one of the goats.
Jameszhang73
Total Chad move… too bad he doesn’t know where it is
ostrow19
Feel like the Tony Parker stuff at beginning is way more interesting
Tjengel
Wait until the game pop grabs the mic again and educates the whole stadium
cacheKTxP
stephen jackson is being horribly misleading here, TP said that as encouragement for kawhi to be able to come back strong from the same injury, not that they were doubting the legitimacy of it (at least at the time when this was said)
CRKing77
when I start reading comments about “be more like Kyrie and less like Pop” I’m just gonna check out
this sub is something else. For the record, yes being generally well educated is good. You don’t need to know who the King of Spain was in 1276, but you should be able to pick Spain out on a map
Some real ignorant comments on this thread. Not really surprising considering where we are as a society
Be more like Pop, and less like Kyrie
sh0tc4ll3r
Kawhi didn’t come to play school.
Worluvus
I feel like “Africa” is just an example but people are taking it differently
aaronlovescrypto
The personality contrast between Kawhi and Wemby is pretty wild
AltF4irl
If Pop says something you do it he ain’t one of the greatest coaches ever for no reason
Infinite-Material-97
I can see Steph Jackson getting in his feelings if Parker said something like that about him since Jackson always been soft AF but I bet Kawhi didn’t even know what Parker said lol
ForneauCosmique
And fuck Jackson. He’s always been bitter about the Spurs after we cut him right before the playoffs because he was bitching about his role. Yea Tony called out Kawhi because it was clear something else was going on, not just an injury. And you had our Big 3 trying to win a championship. We always had 1 goal; to win championships and doing it by sacrificing for the team and Kawhi wasn’t doing that. Of course the Big 3 were pissed and I don’t blame them. I’d be pissed too if I sacrificed so much to win and then this guy who CLEARLY was a top player and was given the reins to one of the most successful franchise’s ever and he pulls that shit
Tearz_in_rain
I always find it odd how Stephen Jackson LOVES to shit on Pop and the Spurs whenever he can, but they are the team where he blossomed and the level of play that he was able to put on display there got other teams interest in Jackson and that helped people see him as a proven winner.
I’m sure Jackson’s work ethic and skill would have earned him a spot on an NBA roster regardless of the opportunity that he got with the Spurs, but you’d think he’d have some favourable opinions of Pop and some other folks there at least. I know his second tenure there seems to be the sticking point, but man… they did so well together.
It’s sad to see that.
blobthetoasterstrood
Pop isn’t the only one to do this. I’ve read Phil Jackson’s book “eleven rings” and he writes a lot about sharing books or philosophical concepts with his players in an attempt to help them self-actualize in a sense, but also as a way to break up the tedium of NBA life and as an expression that he cares about them as people too.
Otherwise_Form1315
I feel like this is just grasping at all the interactions they could remember having with Kawhi that might have annoyed him. It’s like if you had a co-worker a decade ago who went on a murder rampage and people kept asking you about it. “He didn’t like that people would crank the air conditioning too high in the office. He wasn’t a fan of using skype.”
Brave_Inevitable6919
To borrow a reply line….Learning is good.
dassiebzehntekomma
When you surrounded by so many idiots you start teaching em
redbaaron11
Stephen Jackson is 1) an antisemite 2)has a vendetta against the spurs/manu/tony because he thinks he was better than them in ‘05. Don’t believe a thing this piece of shit says.
39 Comments
Kawhi is just that guy
Kawhi said ball is life fuck knowledge.
Pop trying to teach the one and done guys and straight to the league guys basic geography lmao
I must be in the dark, because I had no idea Pop runs his team like black history month on the side
Can somebody give context to this? I have never heard of learning maps and about Africa as something an NBA coach does. I just have no idea what Aldridge is talking about.
Now that’s a quote lmao
So Pop was giving them geography homework? That’s hilarious.
Just imagining popovitch trying to teach Kawhi about Africa 😆
“Fuck Africa.” — Kawhi Leonard
Pop got Wemby learning about the french revolution
Pop thinks he’s Coach Carter
Pop has coached a lot of international players.
When you meet people from other countries you quickly realize we’re taught fuck all in the US.
It was probably fucking embarrassing to have players not be able to point to where a team mate was born.
Everyone acting like this is some nonsense.
Learning is good.
Players don’t go to college. They don’t continue their educations.
Look at Kyrie.
Prevent future Kyries by picking up a book.
On the flip side Stephen Jax once said on a Dan Patrick podcast that Pops runs the team like it’s an actual job/class. Players seem to take issue with his approach bc Pops gives the guys homework and what not.
Come on guys you didn’t do your African geography homework! That’s NOT who we are!
I know he doesn’t mean it like that but referring to it as “that leaning shit” cracks me up.
> I remember Pop made us watch a penguin National Geographic movie,” DeRozan told ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “It was very interesting. It was basically learning about teamwork. How to come together as one and go after a common goal, whatever that goal was. I thought it was going to be a day where we watch film. But we watched a full penguin movie — and it was the most interesting shit”
Works for some, not everyone
“Bored man get paid” – Kawhi to Pop
Border man gets paid
Pop has a lot of jewelry. More than most coaches.
Soooo…must be something to it.
That being said, I get it.
PARKER LITERALLY WAS SAYING THAT IN SUPPORT AND TO BE OPTIMISTIC OF KAWHI COMING BACK.
Kawhi about it
Pop is one of the goats.
Total Chad move… too bad he doesn’t know where it is
Feel like the Tony Parker stuff at beginning is way more interesting
Wait until the game pop grabs the mic again and educates the whole stadium
stephen jackson is being horribly misleading here, TP said that as encouragement for kawhi to be able to come back strong from the same injury, not that they were doubting the legitimacy of it (at least at the time when this was said)
when I start reading comments about “be more like Kyrie and less like Pop” I’m just gonna check out
this sub is something else. For the record, yes being generally well educated is good. You don’t need to know who the King of Spain was in 1276, but you should be able to pick Spain out on a map
Some real ignorant comments on this thread. Not really surprising considering where we are as a society
Be more like Pop, and less like Kyrie
Kawhi didn’t come to play school.
I feel like “Africa” is just an example but people are taking it differently
The personality contrast between Kawhi and Wemby is pretty wild
If Pop says something you do it he ain’t one of the greatest coaches ever for no reason
I can see Steph Jackson getting in his feelings if Parker said something like that about him since Jackson always been soft AF but I bet Kawhi didn’t even know what Parker said lol
And fuck Jackson. He’s always been bitter about the Spurs after we cut him right before the playoffs because he was bitching about his role. Yea Tony called out Kawhi because it was clear something else was going on, not just an injury. And you had our Big 3 trying to win a championship. We always had 1 goal; to win championships and doing it by sacrificing for the team and Kawhi wasn’t doing that. Of course the Big 3 were pissed and I don’t blame them. I’d be pissed too if I sacrificed so much to win and then this guy who CLEARLY was a top player and was given the reins to one of the most successful franchise’s ever and he pulls that shit
I always find it odd how Stephen Jackson LOVES to shit on Pop and the Spurs whenever he can, but they are the team where he blossomed and the level of play that he was able to put on display there got other teams interest in Jackson and that helped people see him as a proven winner.
I’m sure Jackson’s work ethic and skill would have earned him a spot on an NBA roster regardless of the opportunity that he got with the Spurs, but you’d think he’d have some favourable opinions of Pop and some other folks there at least. I know his second tenure there seems to be the sticking point, but man… they did so well together.
It’s sad to see that.
Pop isn’t the only one to do this. I’ve read Phil Jackson’s book “eleven rings” and he writes a lot about sharing books or philosophical concepts with his players in an attempt to help them self-actualize in a sense, but also as a way to break up the tedium of NBA life and as an expression that he cares about them as people too.
I feel like this is just grasping at all the interactions they could remember having with Kawhi that might have annoyed him. It’s like if you had a co-worker a decade ago who went on a murder rampage and people kept asking you about it. “He didn’t like that people would crank the air conditioning too high in the office. He wasn’t a fan of using skype.”
To borrow a reply line….Learning is good.
When you surrounded by so many idiots you start teaching em
Stephen Jackson is 1) an antisemite 2)has a vendetta against the spurs/manu/tony because he thinks he was better than them in ‘05. Don’t believe a thing this piece of shit says.