Gregg Popovich Asked Scottie Pippen to Consult Kawhi Leonard During Spurs Tenure
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen said San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich once reached out to him to meet with Kawhi Leonard.
Pippen said Friday on ESPN's The Jump he thought Pop made the effort because "he felt like that [Leonard's] game patterned my game a little bit."
"I kind of admired his game and told him I'd been watching him and could see he's been getting better and better," Pippen said. "And things I felt like he could work on to become even a better player. And I felt like he's filled all those voids."
The 53-year-old six-time NBA champion explained the efforts came before the relationship between the Spurs and Leonard, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, fractured, leading to his offseason trade to the Toronto Raptors.
"I feel like it's mended between coach Pop and Kawhi," Pippen said.
The trade has worked out well for both sides.
Leonard is an MVP candidate for the Raptors, who are tied for the Eastern Conference's best record at 28-12.
The Spurs are one of the league's hottest teams with a 7-3 mark over their last 10 games, including three straight wins. DeMar DeRozan, the main trade chip that went to San Antonio in the blockbuster, leads the team at 22.8 points per game.
