After the San Antonio Spurs traded for Kawhi Leonard during the 2011 NBA Draft, the franchise was able to extend their championship window. There wasn’t any certainty that the former No. 15 pick would become one of the best players in the league. It was a gamble that the Spurs took and paid off for several years.
However, some in the Spurs organization may not have been happy when the trade played out, as it involved parting ways with George Hill, who was a beloved figure on the team. One of those who hated it was former star Manu Ginobili .
“When he arrived, I was very angry because I liked playing with George Hill,” Ginobili told the Argentine newspaper “Ole” in 2013, as translated by SB Nation . “I was upset that he was traded for a rookie. But I didn’t really know him. In his first year, and despite the lockout, he showed things; you could see his potential.
“But in the second part of last season, his performance was crazy – to really stand and applaud. The dude just balls. He deserves to have the rock in his hands, and he earned our respect. If you ask him, even Pop will tell you he was surprised by him.”