Kawhi Leonard’s departure from the San Antonio Spurs in 2019 remains one of the most mysterious and debated breakups in NBA history. For years, speculation swirled about what led to the quiet, stoic superstar forcing his way out of the league’s model franchise.
Now, years later, former Spurs teammates like Stephen Jackson, Danny Green, and LaMarcus Aldridge have shed new light on Leonard’s exit through their appearances on All The Smoke.
Danny Green, who played alongside Kawhi and won a championship in San Antonio, admitted that even he never got the full story directly from Leonard.
“I never, till this day, I never asked Kawhi, me and him, what happened.”
Yet, he hinted at a pivotal influence behind the scenes, Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, often referred to as Uncle Dennis.
“I think his uncle had a lot of what to do with what’s going on, a lot of influence. And once his uncle saw some distasteful things in his mind, it was like, ‘All right, we’re not doing this.’ Cuz San Antonio, they don’t treat anybody like superstars. And his uncle, kind of and rightfully so, thought he should’ve been treated like a superstar.”
“But Timmy didn’t. Pop never had to treat Timmy like that cuz Timmy never needed, never cared to be that. But I think, you know, Kawhi had the injury, Tony said some things to the media, then Pop said things to the media.”
“Uncle Dennis was like, ‘Nah,’ because Kawhi came back for nine games, and after that he was like, you got to talk to Kawhi’s people.”
Green highlighted the Spurs’ no-superstar-coddling culture, noting that Tim Duncan, the team’s greatest player, never needed special treatment. However, Kawhi’s camp reportedly felt disrespected, especially after he played only nine games during the 2017–18 season due to a quad injury.
The tension escalated when Tony Parker made public comments implying Kawhi’s injury wasn’t as serious. Stephen Jackson, who played for the Spurs during multiple stints, emphasized this was a breaking point.
“When the injury stuff came down, how they didn’t fight for him in public. Like, Tony had an injury. And Tony was out a long time. Kawhi never said nothing. There were questions about why Kawhi was out.”
“And Tony was like, ‘Well, I had the same injury, and I came back,’ questioning if he was really hurt, on national TV. That pushed him right out the door. For those that didn’t know.”
Jackson and Aldridge agreed that the organization failed to support Kawhi publicly during the injury controversy. Aldridge, visibly uncomfortable while revisiting the topic, simply noted,
“When somebody’s ready to go, they’re ready to go. That’s all I got to say about that. When somebody’s ready to go, they’re ready to go.”
Green backed that sentiment, saying there were early “rumblings” that Kawhi would never suit up for San Antonio again. The lack of transparency, combined with a rigid culture that didn’t bend even for rising stars, left Leonard feeling alienated.
The tension wasn’t limited to the Kawhi saga. Jackson shared anecdotes of his time in San Antonio, explaining how his outspoken nature clashed with the Spurs’ rigid system. Green recalled Jackson being abruptly cut and replaced by Tracy McGrady after pushing back too hard in practice.
“Stack was bugging out. I remember this very vividly, but Stack not going to just let people talk to him. He’s not going to just let practices just go the way they’re supposed to. It’s game-like. We’re going to talk s**t.”
“We in practice. In the system, they like things done their way. We’re going to run this play, and you’re supposed to not cheat it or whatever. Stack’s like, ‘No, what if they do this?’ ‘Well, they’re not going to do that.'”
“Basically, Jack was talking back. ‘Nah, f**k you. You’re not doing everything your way. I’m going to do it this way. Sometimes it may happen this way. How the f**k are you going to know what the f**k’s going to happen?’ I didn’t see Stack after that.”
Stephen Jackson says Tony Parker’s comments about Kawhi’s injury is what pushed him out the door 👀
LaMarcus Aldridge: “When someone’s ready to go, they’re ready to go. That’s all ima say.”
(via @allthesmokeprod)pic.twitter.com/ekuNhgPj5T
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 30, 2025
In retrospect, Leonard’s exit wasn’t just about an injury. It was a culmination of mistrust, miscommunication, and cultural misalignment.
From Parker’s ill-timed remarks to Uncle Dennis’ growing concern over how his nephew was treated, the Spurs’ tight-knit and often secretive environment cracked under the weight of a new-era star who wanted both transparency and respect.
While the Spurs moved on, the situation serves as a cautionary tale in player relations; even the NBA’s most disciplined organizations aren’t immune to internal fracture.
