SAN ANTONIO-- If you know anything about San Antonio, you know we are home to some of the most innovative, talented and unique artists around. And one such artist's hysterical imagining of #kawhigate has proven to be one of the most idiosyncratic pieces we've seen so far.
The hilarious rendering of Kawhi Leonard as Friday's 'Bye Felicia' Actress, Angela Means Kaaya, surrounded by Coach Pop as "Smokey" and our beloved Manu as "Craig" is the work of San Antonio native artist Ray Tattooed Boy, which is not only his social media name but also his preferred moniker.
The piece bears a pretty striking resemblance to popular imagery from the 90's hit, 'Friday,' albeit with new faces.
If the piece had a name, if it were a commissioned piece, maybe it would be called "Bye Kawhisha," or maybe even"Kawhiday," but, alas, it doesn't. That may be because Ray says he simply enjoys creating Spurs fan art for himself and his followers and doesn't often put those particular pieces for sale. In his own words, he's just a "huge Spurs fan," who really enjoys sharing, "doodles [he] decided to draw."
The latest, he told KENS 5, was to lighten the mood around all of the drama centered around trading San Antonio superstar Spur turned San Antonio supervillain(?) Kawhi Leonard. "It was drawn as soon as he said he wanted to leave," Ray said. "I just didn't post it."
Ray said that he was born and raised in the Alamo City and has been in the biz since 2005. He is completely self-taught and said one of his favorite things to do is to sketch stuff during the games.
Ray said he is a Spurs superfan and said he has been since the tender age of five when his parents took him to his first Spurs game vs. the Lakers. They were all the way in the nosebleed section, but like so many diehard Spurs fans...that didn't matter. He was sold for life.
As far as Kawhigate goes, Ray said he was definitely upset by the situation. "I found it to be a really disappointing time. Pop was going through a lot of stuff, and then I see all this stuff with Kawhi and it was just really disappointing."
But Ray said he hopes his take on the trade drama will make people laugh. "I love this team and how they interact with the community...now that this [Kawhi trade] is over, everybody can take a sigh of relief and focus on the rest of the season," he said.