Gregg Popovich signed a five-year contract on Saturday to remain as San Antonio Spurs head coach and president; “His ability to bounce between the development of basketball players and the bigger picture is just so impressive,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said
Gregg Popovich signed a five-year contract on Saturday to remain as the San Antonio Spurs head coach and president.
The 74-year-old took over as coach of the Spurs in December 1996 and in his 27-year reign, has won 1,366 games – 31 more than Don Nelson, who had notched up the most career wins as head coach before Popovich surpassed him.
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He is also third in playoff wins with 170, behind only Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171).
Popovich is also one of only five coaches with at least five championships; Jackson won 11, Red Auerbach nine and Popovich is in a group with Riley and John Kundla as winners of five. He’ll enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month.
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“His ability to connect and spend time and bounce between the really detailed development of basketball players and the bigger picture of developing people is just so impressive,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said in May.
“I think no matter what Pop does, he’s going to find a way to do that because that’s in his heart. And I’m excited to see whatever the next phase is in that journey.”
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Popovich talked before the Spurs’ last game of this past season about how, during his career, he has been the “beneficiary of serendipity to a max degree” – and that was even before San Antonio won the lottery and the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama, potentially having him follow in the footsteps of David Robinson and Tim Duncan who came to the Spurs as No. 1 picks and became franchise-cornerstone big men.
But with Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili gone, the Spurs haven’t won a playoff series since 2017 and went a combined 121-186 over the last four seasons, losing more games in the last four years than they did in the previous eight years combined.
Those struggles, along with his age, created speculation that Popovich might opt to retire.
The losing ends now, if Wembanyama has anything to say about it. He’s coming to the NBA with eyes on becoming a superstar, an icon, a champion. And he’s about to become the star of the latest – and perhaps final – phase of Popovich’s career.
