3.23.18 Hardwick and Richards 8 AM: What's going on with Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs?

·40 min·3 clips

Nick Hardwick reveals how his own NFL ankle injury created a 'ton of gray area' where teammates doubted his willingness to play.

The episode opens with hosts Nick Hardwick and Judson Richards discussing the New York Giants' draft strategy, specifically whether to select a quarterback with the second overall pick or build around veteran Eli Manning. They compare the Giants' situation to the Los Angeles Chargers' successful support of Philip Rivers. A listener named Ryan calls in about the Padres potentially trading Chase Headley. Another listener, Nick, describes eating small baked crickets in Tijuana, sparking a segment on whether the Padres should sell creative, unconventional food like crickets or baked oysters at Petco Park to differentiate from the Seattle Mariners' toasted grasshoppers. The main segment focuses on Kawhi Leonard's mysterious quadriceps tendinopathy injury. The hosts express confusion over conflicting reports about his return, citing his reputation as a hard worker. Guest RJ Marquez, a reporter from KSAT San Antonio, joins to clarify the situation. Marquez explains that Leonard returned briefly earlier in the season but wasn't comfortable, leading to frustration among teammates who want clarity. He details the high stakes of Leonard's upcoming supermax contract extension worth $217 million over five years, which the Spurs may hesitate to offer without seeing him play. Marquez notes the Spurs' urgency to extend their 20-year playoff streak despite winning five straight games. After the interview, Hardwick shares a personal anecdote about his own NFL ankle injury to illustrate the 'gray area' and pressure athletes face when teammates doubt their willingness to play. He speculates that Leonard's camp might be advising caution to secure the supermax contract. The episode then returns to the Giants discussion, analyzing their organizational disarray compared to the Chargers. Later segments cover NCAA Sweet 16 predictions, a critique of the movie Deadpool, and humorous banter about Facebook, golf, and brake repairs. The show concludes with lighthearted teasing among the hosts.

As heard by us

A Spurs surge frames the Kawhi return question, with local-sports detours adding rough-edged color.

San Diego's Hardwick and Richards treat the strange Kawhi Leonard situation as more than injury chatter, using it to measure San Antonio's short-term stakes.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get the Kawhi-Spurs uncertainty, a five-game streak, and a detour into a painfully tough 2012 camp interview.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Hardwick & Richards - KLSD-AM