Popovich, the NBA’s winningest coach, signs a five-year contract to remain Spurs coach, president
Gregg Popovich apparently has no plans to leave the San Antonio Spurs any time soon.
The NBA’s winningest coach has signed a five-year contract to remain coach and president of the team, the Spurs announced Saturday. There has been much speculation over the future of the 74-year-old Popovich, but after the team got the chance to field Victor Wembanyama last month, it was believed the five-time champion would continue to coach.
And now it’s official. The Spurs announced the move in a two-sentence release, with no details on terms, without any quotes from Popovich or team personnel.
Popovich took over as coach of the Spurs in December 1996. He has won 1,366 games – 31 more than Don Nelson, who was the career leader before Popovich caught him.
The San Antonio Spurs announced today that President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Gregg Popovich have signed a five-year contract.
He is also third in playoff wins with 170, behind only Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171). And Popovich is one of only five coaches with at least five championships; Jackson won 11, Red Auerbach won nine and Popovich is in a pool with Riley and John Kundla as winners of five.
He will enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month.
“His ability to connect and spend time and bounce between the very 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 whatever Dad does, he’ll find a way to do that because it’s in his heart. And I’m excited to see what the next stage in that journey is.”
But with Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili gone, the Spurs haven’t won a playoff series since 2017 and went 121-186 over the past four seasons, in fact losing more games in the last four years than in the previous years. eight years together. Those struggles, along with his age, fueled speculation that Popovich would choose to retire.
The losing is over now, if Wembanyama has anything to say about it. He comes to the NBA with the intention of becoming a superstar, an icon, a champion. And he’s about to be the star of the final – and perhaps final – phase of Popovich’s career.
“He’s not intimidating yet, but I’m sure he will be intimidating when I see him in real life,” Wembanyama said after the draft.
Olympic champion
In addition to all wins and the five titles, Popovich also won an Olympic gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
“He’s amazing,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who played for and assisted Popovich on the national team. “The Hall of Fame was just a formality. Everyone knew he would be there. It was just a matter of when.”
The long-held belief was that Popovich wanted certain people in the hall before letting himself be considered. Duncan and Ginobili had to go in first, and Popovich is part of a class that also includes two other people close to him: former Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and Parker.
“Honestly, I’ve always felt like the Hall of Fame is like for Red Holzman, Red Auerbach and Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. … I never felt like I really belonged, to be honest, Popovich said earlier this year. “I’m not trying to be ‘Mr. Humble’ or anything. I’m a Division III guy. I’m not a Hall of Fame guy.”
And San Antonio’s Hall of Fame career is still a few years away.
