Spurs' handling of Sochan reinforces image fans should be proud of

They say if you love something, you should let it go, and that's what San Antonio did today. He's been a consummate professional during what has to be the toughest stretch of his career. He went from playing a starting role on an up-and-coming team to getting DNPs when fully healthy. Holding onto him at this point would have just been unnecessary, and clearly the Spurs agreed.

From top to bottom, this organization is known as being people-first. They're first-class all the way, so I expected them to release him without hassle. I assumed they would wait until the offseason, but that's just because there was a report that a buyout wasn't going to happen.

Either way, letting the man go his own way was the right thing to do. He earned that by living the franchise's standard of selflessness every day. The organization demands that mentality from their players, so there's a measure of the same that Spurs Nation expects from them, too.

The fans are proud of a people-first franchise like the Spurs

Not everyone liked Coach Popovich's speeches about the state of the country when he thought things were off, but so many did because he spoke up about what he thought was and wasn't right. It's an admirable trait not everyone shares, and the entire organization operates the same way.

They've always put their money where their mouths are when it comes to the idea of taking care of the community. Their continued contributions to the people in Hill County after the floods decimated their homes last year are just one example of that. Their actions to help those affected by the shootings at the school in Uvalde in 2023 are another.

Nobody is forcing them to do these things. Charity has always been a major part of the Spurs' culture. They're fully entrenched in the city, the state, and the people, and in turn, the fans absolutely adore them. The relationship between the franchise and the citizens of the 210 is a personal one.

There's a genuine love and trust that the owners, general manager, and everyone else involved have the city's best interests at heart in all of their ventures. That's why it was easy to see why Project Marvel passed when it came time to vote.

When Josh Primo revealed himself to be a sick person, they quickly moved on from him. They made no excuses for his actions and didn't pretend to be okay with them. There's a theme here.

Releasing Sochan without trying to play hardball with him on a cheap deal or insisting on waiting to pursue an offseason deal via sign-and-trade was the right thing to do. They always do the right thing. That's something to be proud of, no matter how Jeremy's era panned out.