Kawhi Leonard says he wants to be a Spur for life

He also confirmed he plans on returning this season, just not this week.

Well Spurs fans, it has been a long, trying season — there’s really no denying it has been the worst since 1996-97 — but the biggest issue off the court has finally been put to rest. After enduring over six weeks of rampant rumors that began as a mere rift between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs over the rehabilitation process of his injured quad and swelled all the way up to him wanting to leave the team, The Klaw himself has finally spoken up and denied it all.

Speaking at practice today, Leonard had the following to say about him seeking second medical opinions, which was the main source of the initial rumors:

“Everything was done as a group. I don’t feel like nothing was friction. I talk to Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) every day. He knows what the progression were. He knew what I was doing the whole entire time, as well as the front office. We made a group decision, so it was me just going out and saying, ‘I am going to go out and do this thing.’“

Asked if he plans on finishing his career as a Spur:

“Yeah. For sure.”

So there you have it. We have been saying all along that the best way to squash these rumors (if they were false) would be for Leonard to speak up for himself, and now he has. It’s not a whole lot of words, but it’s enough to calm the waters and put fears that he might request a trade or won’t re-sign with the only franchise he has known to rest.

As for how his rehabilitation is going, he says it is going well and he hopes to return to the court “soon”, although it won’t be during the Road Trip of Death the Spurs are about to embark on. Still, whatever happens this season, barring a miracle-of-miracles championship run there will be no better feeling heading into the summer than knowing our franchise cornerstone is here to stay. It’s the best news we’ve had in a quite a while.