Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had high praise for Gregg Popovich after the San Antonio Spurs head coach stepped down this week. Following Saturday's season-ending 120-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Leonard said his former coach "had a phenomenal career."

Kawhi Leonard is a man of few words, rarely one to open up publicly about emotions or relationships. But when news broke of Gregg Popovich’s retirement after nearly three decades of coaching, even Leonard couldn’t hide the impact the legendary San Antonio Spurs coach had on his life and career.

Gregg Popovich coached many great players in his many seasons at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs. That certainly includes Kawhi Leonard. The multi-time All-Star entered the NBA as a raw, defensively-talented wing and transformed into one of the best two-way players in modern NBA history under Popovich's tutelage.