The play has been debated and dissected ever since, with plenty of folks believing that what Pachulia did was dirty at best, and intentional at worst. One of those with the latter opinion is Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who ripped Pachulia for his actions the very next day.
In an interview with USA Today’s Sam Amick, Pachulia explained why he believed that rant from Popovich was directly responsible for the threats on social media that his family received.
“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, who has an eight-year-old son, a seven-year-old son, and a four-year-old daughter with his wife, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. “(Fans) just hear the message, and it’s, ‘Ok, Pop said so and now let’s do this.’
It’s just wrong. You’ve got to think, and realize. Threaten me, but don’t threaten my wife or say something about my kids. It’s just wrong.
“Me as a person, as a man, I don’t mind dealing with it. But I hate to see my family deal with it. My wife and my kids who have nothing to do with it, who are very innocent. … I just hate my family going through that. They don’t deserve that. … I’m not blaming everything on (Popovich), but he was a very big part of it.”
Pachulia said that extra security was hired to guard the entrance to his kids’ school as a result of those threats — which he clearly believes were incited by Popovich’s words.
The play that completely changed the game.... pic.twitter.com/RUuuomP58q— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 14, 2017
“Look at what happened at the school,” Pachulia said. “It was unfortunate. They had to get extra security because we are living in a world today where social media is so active, you can find any news you want to, hear any news you want to, and obviously it’s a hot topic lately. They just had hired extra security for the entrance, and make sure nobody goes in the school. … It’s just not fair. It does upset me.”7 View gallery: Skip Bayless reacts to the Spurs 'sickening' loss: 'Zaza Pachulia is now the MVP of the playoffs'
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