13 people who turned their backs on the San Antonio Spurs

8. Richard Jefferson

Richard Jefferson is pretty good on television. You often see him on ESPN's NBA Today or making appearances at games, and his schtick is to be the funny guy. Credit where it's due; he's good at it. But he has made a habit of poking Spurs fans while wondering why they don't like him. You have to read the room. San Antonio has enough to worry about with outsiders insulting a city that many of them have admittedly either never been to or never spent enough time to check out.

San Antonio fans love players who love them and their city back. Jefferson called San Antonio a dump. He has cracked jokes about the beloved Tim Duncan being "carried." Nobody in the 210 cares to hear either of those things, so if you can't discuss the Spurs without throwing shade, especially as a former player of the team, keep your comments to yourself.

7. Phil Jackson

Coaches are generally complimentary of one another. They understand it is a brutal business, and the microscope can be unbearably unpleasant for some. That brotherhood was something that Phil Jackson apparently had no interest in. When given the opportunity to laud the achievements of a small market team that had won their first championship, he did the opposite, stating the title should have an asterisk next to it due to the shortened lock-out season.

At the time, Jackson was already considered one of the great coaches in NBA history. His two three-peat championships made that clear. The credibility of someone like that is not to be taken lightly, so when that person questions the legitimacy of the Spurs accomplishment, it holds more weight. It was an irresponsible comment, and it was simply untrue, as every team played under the same circumstances.