Report: Some of Kawhi teammates upset about Kawhi getting preferential treatment. Via bleacher report.

[Klayforspicy]

He was lucky that he got away with it in Toronto, him and Dennis were dumb to think load management would fly anywhere else especially in LA

[jpengland]

A lot of ego in that locker room.

I can't stand Harrell in particular. But this was always going to happen.

Guys comes in, picks and chooses his teammates, gets paid much more than you and then turns up late, takes games off etc with no repercussion. That's toxic in any working environment

[Richard Miller]

The three players who played like crap "bristled", maybe they should take a good long look in the mirror. Without Kawhi this year they would've been 1st round fodder at best.

[UcanUwill]

I am pro load management, but it should be coach call at the end. I wish I had the job where I could just dictate when I work and when I just dont feel like working. Or would I, my point is, this is what happens when you spoil someone with power he shouldnt have and treat him better than others in working environment. That should never happen, kid got spoiled.

It worked out once in Toronto, because winning fixes everything. But you will not win every time, and when you lose, your poor workethic and spoiled ass will not be overlooked anymore.

[Dutchball97]

Fringe starters who don't show up in the play-offs are mad one of the best players in the league gets preferential treatment. Are they going to be mad Kawhi gets paid more next?

[Mikistan]

Nick Nurse on woj pod told a story of where the team lost a few games in a row in 2019 and they were having a team meeting and talking about ball movement

Guys were talking about passing the ball just to get it moving just to get some flow. Kawhi spoke up for the first time and said "I'm not passing the **** ball for hell. My job is to score and when I get double & triple teamed that's when its your job to score"

[shangrila]

I think the load management stuff is understandable, at least presuming it's under the direction of medical professionals. But that being late to team flights and presumably forcing everyone else to wait? Yeah, that's just a douche move. Especially if it happened enough for it to become a problem.

[nikster]

Nick Nurse on woj pod told a story of where the team lost a few games in a row in 2019 and they were having a team meeting and talking about ball movement

Guys were talking about passing the ball just to get it moving just to get some flow. Kawhi spoke up for the first time and said "I'm not passing the **** ball for hell. My job is to score and when I get double & triple teamed that's when its your job to score"

Wow thats brutal, expect those kind of words out of Kyrie. I believe it considering the play that year with him on and off the floor.

So its not just Kawhis load management, he is one of the locker room cancers

[Homer38]

The raptors deserve more and more credit for winning in 2019 since Kawhi and his entourage and his load management seem to be very toxic for a team....I mean to be late in the flights or to be hardly practiced, that is is not good for a team and in a locker room.

[Metallikid]

A lot of ego in that locker room.

I can't stand Harrell in particular. But this was always going to happen.

Guys comes in, picks and chooses his teammates, gets paid much more than you and then turns up late, takes games off etc with no repercussion. That's toxic in any working environment

To be honest it was the same here we just kept it under wraps and we have a vocal leader like Kyle Lowry who could keep everyone calm and focused and smooth over any disagreements while also keeping people accountable. That's what nobody gives him credit for, he kept Kawhi accountable and that directly led to a championship-level effort on his part when he was in a situation he didn't want to be in.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Posted this on the raptors board, that in fairness it was reported that there were issues in the raptors locker room around January / February 2019 due to Kawhi's special treatment. Definite rumblings that the younger guys started voicing unrest over the disparity of treatment. And it was also reported that Kyle had to be reigned in by management when he started following Kawhi's lead regarding practice habits and general discipline that had begun to deteriorate mid-season.

Ultimately the difference is that management did step in and address the issue. It sounds like the Clippers did not. And that's the difference between a franchise with a chip and one that doesn't.

I had never heard that about Kyle. That's kind of disappointing. I guess that's part of the benefits of having a strong organizational structure from the top on down, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Webster who reigned him in, he seems to understand how to talk to the players and it looks like Kyle respects him.

That's because it's incorrect. Kawhi's practice habits have always been regarded as exceptional. Kyle has never cared about practice. On Danny Green's podcast he shares a story with Kyle about how Nurse asked Danny and Kawhi to confront Kyle on his lax practice habits at the beginning of the season. Danny pointed out how awkward it was to be put on the spot.

[MPM]

I have a feeling Lou and Harrell are both going to end up in Charlotte.

How dare you, sir. How dare you.

[maternal85]

Posted this on the raptors board, that in fairness it was reported that there were issues in the raptors locker room around January / February 2019 due to Kawhi's special treatment. Definite rumblings that the younger guys started voicing unrest over the disparity of treatment. And it was also reported that Kyle had to be reigned in by management when he started following Kawhi's lead regarding practice habits and general discipline that had begun to deteriorate mid-season.

Ultimately the difference is that management did step in and address the issue. It sounds like the Clippers did not. And that's the difference between a franchise with a chip and one that doesn't.

The Raptors have a mature management team, along with players. Thats the difference.

[Lalouie]

I think this was already up on realgm. thing is they all know kawhi's story so they're just a bunch of whiny egos

[Duffman100]

Posted this on the raptors board, that in fairness it was reported that there were issues in the raptors locker room around January / February 2019 due to Kawhi's special treatment. Definite rumblings that the younger guys started voicing unrest over the disparity of treatment. And it was also reported that Kyle had to be reigned in by management when he started following Kawhi's lead regarding practice habits and general discipline that had begun to deteriorate mid-season.

Ultimately the difference is that management did step in and address the issue. It sounds like the Clippers did not. And that's the difference between a franchise with a chip and one that doesn't.

I had never heard that about Kyle. That's kind of disappointing. I guess that's part of the benefits of having a strong organizational structure from the top on down, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Webster who reigned him in, he seems to understand how to talk to the players and it looks like Kyle respects him.

I remember this being a big fuss last season as well, most notably with Lowry and FVV.

Lowry made a big fuss about it, and I believe he was exempt from practises and shoot around as to load management his wrist injury (Don’t quote me on this).

Weird I have no recollection of this at all. Article?

[ATRAIN53]

Remember when we used to read these SAME stories about MJ?

Remember when we used to read these SAME stories about LeBron?

Here's Jimmy Butlers BULLS team complaining about Butler getting treatment in 2016.....

You can find this for any star on a team that hasn't won.
Because it's ALWAYS like this when a superstar develops or is traded to a team.
They do get treated differently, that is why they are a star.

The difference and the winning starts when the star stops acting like a star and doesn't do this kind of stuff and is the hardest working guy on the team and sets the example of hard work ethic.

Kawhi was able to load manage last year in TOR because the guy was coming off a injury and no one knew. But had he stayed there and done this load management this year after signing a huge deal - it would have unraveled and ruffled the Raptors too.

The Clippers just saw there is no easy cheat way to the title.

MJ NEVER Load managed.
Load Management in his era was beating up on bad teams like the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies and having a 20 point lead at the end of the 3rd and sitting on the bench during the 4th quarter - and watching your bench hold the lead. This helped them learn to play and it showed MJ what bench guys he could trust.

These were some of the best games because it was the rare time you saw MJ laughing and having fun on the bench.

[Duffman100]

Nick Nurse on woj pod told a story of where the team lost a few games in a row in 2019 and they were having a team meeting and talking about ball movement

Guys were talking about passing the ball just to get it moving just to get some flow. Kawhi spoke up for the first time and said "I'm not passing the **** ball for hell. My job is to score and when I get double & triple teamed that's when its your job to score"

But like, yeah.

This isn't rec ball. This is a profession. Kawhi delivered when it mattered and so did his teammates. Ego aside, what are they playing for?

People blame Kawhi for their loss in the 2nd round. Dude was averaging 29, 9 and nearly 6 assists with 2.5 steals. His 3p% was lower, but he was regularly double teamed.

[JShuttlesworth]

I think on the WojPod recently where Nick Nurse echoed some of those same sentiments, but it wasn't framed in a negative way. He alluded to it though. Something to the effect of, Kawhi knows exactly how many minutes he can play at peak performance, he knows when he needs rest, when he needs to come out of the game, etc.

If Toronto didn't win in 2019, I'm confident similar stories would have bubbled up.

[Birth of the Cool]

Kawhi has been a diva since his Spurs days. It's just that when you are winning all of that is put aside. Knives only come out when you fail and this year he failed spectacularly in the playoffs and so stuff like this comes out.

[norcocredo]

Isn’t this just a regurgitation of the story that came out the day after they were eliminated? Someone needs clicks to pay the bills.