Zaza Pachulia 's foul on Kawhi Leonard in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Semifinals is one of the most controversial moments in NBA history. After all, Leonard reinjured his ankle and sat out the remainder of the series.
Many felt it was intentional, including a San Antonio Spurs fan named Juan Vasquez, who filed a lawsuit against Pachulia and the Golden State Warriors on behalf of Spurs season ticket holders and San Antonio card shop What's On Second.
"All we are asking from the court is that this type of behavior, that can and does cause serious injury to our team and those that love it, not be allowed in San Antonio," said Alfonso Kennard, Jr., lead attorney for the plaintiffs, per The San Francisco Chronicle .
Justice for Kawhi!
The lawsuit claims Pachulia acted "without excuse or justification, intentionally and maliciously invaded the landing zone of an opposing athlete, Kawhi Leonard."
The plaintiffs also demanded, among other things, exemplary damages in a sum determined by the trier of fact but in no event greater than $73,000.00 and a temporary restraining order.
Meanwhile, Gregg Popovich told officials that Pachulia had a history of being clumsy and malicious with his antics. The legendary Spurs head coach cited previous examples, such as a game in Dallas or another incident involving David West.
Death threats
Lawsuits were just one of the things Pachulia had to handle. The Georgian big man also received multiple death threats that forced him to hire security detail for himself and his kids. According to Pachulia, Popovich's comments against him made the situation worse .
"I don't blame everything on Pop, but what he said had a lot of influence (and) you had a lot of people where, unfortunately, you can't control what everybody's intelligence is," Pachulia told USA TODAY Sports . "I'm not blaming everything on (Popovich), but he was a very big part of it."
It is unfortunate that a basketball incident led to a lawsuit and death threats. This is not the league the NBA wants to be, as it promotes camaraderie, competition, and entertainment.
But given how the game has grown over the last few years, some things can't be avoided. Fans will take things personally, especially when their favorite or hometown team is involved. In this scenario, Pachulia got the short end of the stick.
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