Kawhi Leonard: Spurs boos will make me better

Kawhi Leonard said the boos he received on his return to the San Antonio Spurs in a 125-107 loss for the Toronto Raptors will make him better.

During his time with the Spurs, Leonard was named 2014 NBA Finals MVP as San Antonio won the championship, made two All-NBA First Teams and was twice named the Defensive Player of the Year.

However, the two-time All-Star was jeered in his first match at AT&T Center since being traded to the Raptors in a deal that sent DeMar DeRozan the other way.

Leonard got 21 points and five assists while DeRozan posted the first triple-double of his career (21 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) as the Spurs came out on top.

Asked if he expected such a reception, Leonard said: "Probably, but I embraced it and enjoyed the moment. It's only going to make me better.

"The media does a great job to stir people's minds and influence them to think a certain way so I already knew how that was going to be [because of] the way the media was."

Danny, Kawhi & Coach postgame chat with the media. | https://t.co/U1A3E2IztS pic.twitter.com/YgfJamRQl4

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 4, 2019

Gregg Popovich and Leonard shared a hug after full-time and the Spurs coach sympathised with his former player over the treatment he received.

"I felt badly about it. Kawhi's a high-character guy," Popovich said of the booing.

"We all make decisions in our lives with what we're going to do with our futures, and he has that same right as any of us. So I felt badly, in all honesty."