The San Antonio Spurs wished Kawhi Leonard a happy birthday, so everyone reacted accordingly.
At this point, given the likelihood that the San Antonio Spurs move Kawhi Leonard, one would think the relationship between the two sides is beyond repair. Nothing since the meeting between Leonard and Gregg Popovich has been positive, so it seems the end of an era is on its way.
June 29th is Leonard’s 27th birthday. That’s fine, but the Spurs decided to acknowledge that it’s his big day on Twitter.
Happy Birthday, Kawhi #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/cH5uQCqmMk
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 29, 2018
Well, what ensued was social media chaos, including responses from various accounts that mocked the tweet:
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 29, 2018
It’s funny tho
— angelfanmp (@angelfanmp) June 29, 2018
Its NEVER that serious.. ?
— Raynay ⚡️ (@Raynoow) June 29, 2018
— /r/NBA (@NBA_Reddit) June 29, 2018
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 29, 2018
The tweet below plays off the injury tag Leonard had next to his name this season (return from injury management). This appeared throughout the second half once the Spurs shut him down in January.
Kawhi Leonard to miss birthday party (return from injury management)
— Vinícius Araújo (@vinioaraujo) June 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/804sHeartBreak/status/1012719260039249921
— dylan (@wavydylan_) June 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/b_wilkinson99/status/1012719117214855170
— Rev. Eric Dunn (@ericvdunn) June 29, 2018
The responses only continued from there as fans trolled the Spurs for the birthday wish. Leonard is technically still a member of the roster, so it somewhat makes sense, but the situation remains awkward. Compare it to the Toronto Raptors, who congratulated Dwane Casey for his NBA Coach of the Year win.
It’s a comical situation on social media, but the Spurs still have to decide what to do with Leonard, whether it’s a trade or keeping him on the roster; They can do this until February 2019, otherwise there’s the risk of losing him in next summer’s free-agent period.
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The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are the teams most often reported as the top Leonard suitors. No trade package has come to the forefront, but all three can offer young assets to entice San Antonio and work towards an agreement. There’s no timetable on when anything will happen, but with LeBron James’ opt-out, could the Lakers rush for a conclusion and put together their superteam?