SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard and head coach Gregg Popovich appeared to have known their fate by not bothering with an appearance to NBA’s first annual awards show on Monday.
For Leonard and Popovich, their absence also seemed to downplay of being a finalist for several major awards that the two have won in the past.
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TOP STORY ON KSAT.COM: Spurs' Popovich, Kawhi Leonard come up empty-handed at NBA Awards show
Weeks before the conclusion of the regular season, the NBA released three finalists for each annual award with Leonard chosen for the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year contentions.
Popovich, a three-time Coach of the Year, was named as a finalist for this year’s prestigious COY award alongside Houston Rockets’ Mike D’Antoni and Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra.
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Despite being the two-time reigning DPOY and placing second behind Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry for the NBA’s MVP in 2016, Leonard finished third in both awards.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook won this year’s MVP award ahead of Houston Rockets’ James Harden and Spurs’ Leonard.
Leonard gave up the DPOY award to Golden State Warriors Draymond Green and finished third behind Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert.
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Popovich also finished third in the COY results behind Spoelstra and the winner, D’Antoni.
Shortly after the winners were announced, Spurs and NBA fans took to social media to show their displeasure with some stating Leonard and Popovich were robbed of their distinguished awards.
(SCROLL BELOW TO CHECK OUT WHAT FANS HAD TO SAY ABOUT LEONARD, POPOVICH NOT WINNING THE NBA AWARDS)
Kawhi got robbed
— Aaron (@celtickid77) June 27, 2017
— Patrick Kinser (@patrickstarr42) June 27, 2017
Kawhi is just as good a defender while LEADING HIS TEAM IN SCORING
— J (@jrivs_) June 27, 2017
Kawhi and Gobert were both bigger defensive menaces this season.
— 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 (@patrick__atx) June 27, 2017
What a joke.
Kawhi was robbed
— Sam (@Sam_MVP1) June 27, 2017
i like kawhi and i think he got robbed but kawhi already has dpoy titles. draymond deserved to get 1 eventually.
— 🅲🆁🆈🅾 (@cryogony) June 27, 2017
Fake News! Kawhi and Avery are wayyyyy better
— 👻PAULtergeist👻 (@psaldana52) June 27, 2017
He's should have not got that award Kawhi should have got it😤😤
— Marcus ϟ (@MarcusJT12345) June 27, 2017
Such a ridiculous robbery that it even made Kawhi laugh pic.twitter.com/Rj2mfJZWox
— MICHAEL (@MichaelAngel_7) June 27, 2017
Triple double single stats are bogus....nothing for team...defense was weak....Kawhi was both sides....NBA is 👎🏻
— flightmed (@TheDangrady) June 27, 2017
Russell and Kawhi will be better deserved than Harden. The result told so
— Hafiz Hiew (@HafizuddinHiew) June 27, 2017
Kawhi robbed again
— ✭ Diego Valdes (3-3) ✭ (@dvald11) June 27, 2017
lol Harden. Of the finalists, Kawhi was most deserving
— Nick Dorey (@ndorey21) June 27, 2017
KAWHI COMPLETELY SNUBBED
— 🕷🕸 Jebus 🕸🕷 (@JebusMatoi) June 27, 2017
POPOVICH IS BETTER
— SpursElite (@popovichelite) June 27, 2017
How does Pop not win this??? The Spurs won 60 games after TD retires!
— Ron Seoul-Oh (@CPThrio) June 27, 2017
Pop robbed
— David (@TheeParallax) June 27, 2017
Should've been Pop
— Tx Shotta (@Tx_Shotta) June 27, 2017
Popovich blew him out by 40 on the road without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker
— #FreeMarcus (@IJ14_) June 27, 2017
Popovich was robbed
— 〽️yles (@mylesperhour) June 27, 2017
Pop should've won
— Drip to my lou 🇵🇦 (@thatboylije95) June 27, 2017
Should've been popp
— Max Fox (@MaxFox145) June 27, 2017