SAN ANTONIO — Call it a sign of the times, albeit a bad one for San Antonio Spurs fans.
Sports merchandising retailer Lids has marked down Kawhi Leonard Spurs jerseys after a wild season of injury, rumors, and speculation surrounding the superstar.
Prices for Nike's "City," "Icon," "Association," and "Statement" editions of the men's "Swingman" jersey with Kawhi's name and number have been slashed in half, down from $110 to $55. Leonard t-shirt prices are discounted as well, from $35 to $17.50.
More often than not, sports fans are generally excited to save money on gear from their favorite teams or players. During a time when any news about Leonard gets picked apart and over-analyzed by fans and media, however, seeing his merchandise half off most likely leaves an ominous feeling. A Reddit thread about the discounts is already permeated with pessimistic Spursians who already see this as "absolutely not good" (it's also permeated with NSFW language).
It's hard to knock Lids for the markdowns; if Leonard were to leave the Spurs, Leonard's Spurs jersey sales would decrease significantly, so the company probably feels like they have to do what they must to move the products while Kawhi is still on the team. For Spurs fans confident that Leonard will be on the team next season, the sale means a chance to get a superstar's jersey or t-shirt at half price.
