Basketball Corridor of Famer Gregg Popovich will not be head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and is transitioning to a full-time position because the group’s president of basketball operations, sources instructed ESPN on Friday.
Popovich, 76, has been within the Spurs entrance workplace since Could 1994 and served as head coach because the 1996-1997 season. The legendary Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,422 common season victories and guided the Spurs to 5 NBA championships. Popovich can also be a three-time NBA Coach of the 12 months award winner, tied with Don Nelson and Pat Riley for essentially the most in league historical past.
Popovich suffered a gentle stroke on Nov. 2 and didn’t return through the season. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over on an interim foundation to steer San Antonio to a report of 31-45 below his watch.
Popovich has been concerned all through the Spurs’ offseason and can proceed to be a significant member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations, sources stated.
Popovich has even been current within the Spurs’ facility in current days, and as a lot as he wished to return to his place on the sidelines, he got here to the conclusion that he not might transfer ahead with the taxing grind of being an NBA head coach, sources stated. He has been making regular progress along with his well being in restoration from the November stroke, sources added.
Popovich started his Spurs profession as an assistant to Larry Brown in 1988, serving in that position for 4 seasons earlier than a short stint below Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. He has been the Spurs head coach since December 1996, when he fired Bob Hill after a 3-15 begin and took over on the bench. After San Antonio missed the playoffs that season and landed the No. 1 choose, taking Tim Duncan, Popovich led the Spurs to 22 consecutive playoff seasons from 1998-2019, together with successful no less than 50 video games in 18 straight campaigns.
He ranks third all-time in profession teaching playoff wins, and is one in all 5 coaches ever to win no less than 5 titles together with Phil Jackson (11), Crimson Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5).
Popovich is credited as a pillar of the Spurs, partnering with Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard throughout a dynasty period of championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
Popovich had an emotional assembly with Spurs gamers Feb. 27, and he issued a press release at the moment that he would not be returning this season however hoped to return sooner or later. He was hospitalized on April 15 after a medical incident at a neighborhood San Antonio restaurant, however returned house within the days after and has been feeling a lot better.
Popovich had been the oldest coach in NBA historical past. He agreed to a five-year contract extension with the group in 2023. He additionally served as the top coach of the United State males’s nationwide basketball group for the 2019 FIBA World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics, the place the U.S. received its fourth consecutive gold medal.
With Popovich stepping apart as coach, the title of longest tenured energetic NBA head coach falls to Erik Spoelstra, who has led the Miami Warmth because the 2008-09 season. Spoelstra and Popovich confronted off in back-to-back NBA Finals in 2013 and 2014, every successful as soon as. The subsequent longest-tenured coach is Steve Kerr, who received the final two of his 5 championships as a participant below Popovich earlier than embarking on a profitable teaching profession with the Warriors in 2014.
