Before becoming NBA commissioner, Adam Silver led the league`s marketing and production arm, overseeing films and highlights. In the late 90s and early 2000s, his main subjects were the Jordan dynasty and the O`Neal/Bryant era. But at the same time, a small-market team without global superstars emerged: the San Antonio Spurs, coached by the sharp-tongued former Air Force cadet Gregg Popovich. Silver recalls a call from Popovich after a promo spot for a Spurs game featured only one player. Popovich expressed his displeasure, yelling that Silver didn`t understand how such a small issue could disrupt team chemistry. Years later, Silver understood that Popovich was emphasizing the importance of the team over the individual and demanding complete dedication and attention to detail for championship wins. According to Silver, Popovich never sought personal credit for the team`s achievements or the development of players and coaches, leading with honesty and humility, which was key to his success over nearly 30 years, though he could certainly be very direct when needed.
Popovich`s 29-year tenure as the Spurs` head coach officially ended Friday. The 76-year-old Hall of Famer, five-time NBA champion, and league`s all-time winningest coach announced his transition to focusing on his role as president of basketball operations. This decision came after he suffered a stroke in mid-November, after which Mitch Johnson replaced him on the sideline, first on an interim basis, then taking over the permanent job on Friday.
As he steps away, Popovich`s impact on the game remains indelible. He built teams that consistently contended for titles, achieving an unprecedented 22 consecutive playoff appearances. He pioneered international scouting long before it became commonplace. Perhaps no coach in American sports history has accumulated more wins and accolades. He built and maintained a revered culture in the small market of San Antonio, which numerous teams and organizations have tried to emulate. He initiated the strategic resting of players to prolong their careers, a practice that later evolved into “load management.” He cultivated a vast “forest” of coaches and executives who have spread throughout the league. And though he would likely be reluctant to admit it, his willingness to speak openly about issues of race, multiculturalism, and his passions outside the game inspired a generation.
Immediately after the news broke, tributes and memories poured in, adding new dimensions to the portrait of one of the NBA`s most extraordinary and enduring figures. In interviews, coaches, players, executives, and league officials admitted that it`s difficult to fully capture Popovich`s significance for the league – his impact is so vast, they said, that it seems beyond immediate perspective. But many were eager to trace his career path, how it intertwined with their own lives, and what, in their opinion, he leaves behind.
He impacted more people in our game than anybody.
– Mike Krzyzewski, former Duke and Team USA coach
Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors coach, who played under Popovich for three seasons in San Antonio, added:
I think everybody who`s come across him will talk about him for the rest of their lives.
– Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors coach
In the fall of 1966 in the gym at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, assistant coach Hank Egan saw Popovich among a group of new cadets. Egan immediately noticed his “feisty” nature. A son of Serbian and Croatian immigrants from Indiana, Popovich, despite being cut from his high school team as a sophomore, became captain and leading scorer in his senior year. At the academy, he stood out for his intelligence, competitiveness, and drive. He was well-rounded. He played for the varsity team, captaining it in his final year. He and Egan often talked about the future, about how Popovich could stay in the game. Popovich declared he would find a job in coaching. Egan warned him it wouldn`t be glamorous, would require much time away from home, would be tough, and low-paying, but Popovich didn`t care – he wanted to learn.
Before his coaching career began in earnest, Popovich aspired to play. In 1970, he barnstormed across Eastern Europe with the U.S. Armed Forces team. In the summer of 1972 at the Olympic trials, he caught the attention of Larry Brown, who had just retired from playing and become a coach. Brown described Popovich as “really, really athletic” and “really, really competitive.” Popovich played on a team coached by Bob Knight but didn`t make the final roster.
Two years later, when Brown became the coach of the Denver Nuggets, Popovich tried out for them, but Brown, laughing, recalls that he “cut him.”
By then, Popovich was already assisting Egan at the academy, starting his coaching path. In 1986, Brown, who had become the coach at the University of Kansas, called Popovich (then coaching Division III team Pomona-Pitzer) and offered him a volunteer assistant position for a sabbatical year. Popovich agreed. The staff included future notable figures, including R.C. Buford and Bill Self. Brown considered Popovich a “tremendous contributor,” a “great coach” who cared about young people and wasn`t afraid to speak his mind.
A year later, Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer. In June 1988, Brown called again, offering him a position as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, where Brown had just moved. Despite Popovich`s modest record at Pomona (the team won the conference only once in 9 years), Brown saw his ability to develop players. Popovich accepted the offer, although he admitted it was a “quantum leap” and he was “scared to death.”
Brown noted that Popovich coached players hard but knew how to find a balance, distinguishing between criticism and coaching. Players knew that he genuinely cared, and such leaders, according to Brown, can get people to do almost anything for them.
Popovich moved to San Antonio with his family, marking the beginning of nearly 35 years with the Spurs (with a brief break at the Warriors).
In January 1999, Kerr found himself in Popovich`s office in San Antonio after signing with the Spurs. Kerr had already won three titles with the Bulls, while Popovich had none yet. Popovich wasn`t “Pop” as he`s known now. Kerr instantly liked him, noting his unique ability to connect with people from any background. In that unusual lockout-shortened season, the Spurs started slowly (6-8). According to some accounts, Popovich was on the hot seat. Kerr remembers how well he handled this in front of the team, keeping them focused on improving. He was incredibly fiery (more so than in later years), but never personal, while remaining extremely competitive. He wasn`t afraid to yell at Duncan or Robinson, but he did it in a way that players still loved him.
That season, the Spurs won their first championship, and Popovich publicly displayed his habit of deflecting praise, attributing success to the luck of drafting Robinson and then Duncan. Kerr believes Popovich, like Phil Jackson, was brilliant, but talent was necessary for success. He admires Popovich`s humility and commitment to values. The “Pound the Rock” motto is also about modesty: success comes from persistent, slow work. Popovich knew who he was and who he wanted his team to be, and it all perfectly fit together.
Kerr highlights two main Popovich values. First is his willingness to speak up on social issues, especially now. While many athletes and coaches (often Black, like Bill Russell or Muhammad Ali) had done this for decades, it was different when an older white coach did so. There weren`t many such figures (Smith, Wooden). Kerr calls him a “unique American patriot.” Popovich served in the Air Force, which he says was the most important experience for shaping his personality and worldview. And he used this experience not only to become a great coach but also to criticize the politics of the country he served.
Second is Popovich`s interest in sports science and player health. Kerr states he was the first to strategically rest players. This was an expensive strategy: in 2012, the Spurs were fined $250,000 for sending starters home before a game in Miami. Popovich didn`t flinch, explaining that modern science allows for extending players` careers. The essence is a tradeoff: see a player in one game or preserve him for three more years and the playoffs.
Years later, “load management” was born as a term and practice, despite league resistance. Kerr is certain it all started thanks to Popovich. “Rest in the NBA – that was all him.”
After Team USA`s bronze medal finish in the 2004 Olympics, Jerry Colangelo knew change was necessary. The team`s performance was a national embarrassment, and it stung Popovich particularly hard, as he was one of the assistant coaches. In June 2005, Colangelo gathered basketball luminaries to find a new head coach. A board of candidates included Mike Krzyzewski (among college coaches) and Gregg Popovich (among professional coaches). The consensus was that they were the best.
Colangelo first called Popovich to gauge his interest. Popovich, according to Colangelo, showed little enthusiasm (partly his personality, partly disappointment from 2004). Then he called Krzyzewski, who “literally jumped through the phone” with excitement. Colangelo met with Krzyzewski and decided to offer him the post, understanding that he “couldn`t go wrong either way.”
Colangelo publicly explained his decision, mentioning Popovich`s less-than-inspiring call. This “really upset” Popovich. He sent a letter. Colangelo didn`t mean to criticize him, but the mention in that context hurt. Although they had been in the same field for many years, they had no relationship.
Krzyzewski led Team USA to gold in 2008 and 2012; Popovich was not on his staff.
In 2015, with Krzyzewski preparing to retire after the 2016 Olympics, Colangelo was looking for a successor. He called Popovich. They met and “patched everything up.” Popovich asked to think about it, then called back: “If you want me, I`m in.”
This was an honor Popovich had pursued for half a century – combining his love for the game and his country. This time, he would be leading.
The following summer in Vegas, Popovich and Krzyzewski shared a meal for the first time with the Team USA staff.
Their paths turned out to be remarkably similar: both from the Midwest, attended service academies, played under Bob Knight, coached the same teams for decades with sustained excellence, and shared a passion for food and wine.
But despite the similarities, they hadn`t been close before. “I had known him, but we weren`t friends,” said Krzyzewski.
In Vegas, they sat down and talked. Colangelo: “It was like they`d known each other forever.” Krzyzewski: “We were both waiting to become close friends.”
Krzyzewski had always admired Popovich`s leadership and studied it. He saw how Popovich built deep relationships with players, worked with Robinson and Duncan, creating a system where they complemented each other, with the elder mentoring the younger. He saw how players took ownership of the “Spurs Way” culture. How the team shared the ball, how he managed lineups. Many of these principles mirrored Krzyzewski`s approach at Duke.
He impacted more people in our game than anybody. He`s probably the most unique coach ever – pro, amateur. He`s as good as anybody, but I think you can`t be like him. He did so much that it`s hard to believe one person could accomplish all that.
– Mike Krzyzewski, former Duke and Team USA coach
They met in Vegas during training camp. Krzyzewski knew the pressure associated with the Team USA head coach position. “Unless you`re sitting in that seat, you don`t know how it feels,” he said. It`s not a sure thing. He believed Popovich could handle it. And he was right.
Popovich led Team USA to gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (an 87-82 win over France, revenging a group stage loss). After the game, Colangelo and Popovich found each other. Popovich understood the significance of the moment – for himself, for his country, for Team USA.
Pop felt very relieved. He felt incredible pressure in the championship game. When it was over, we embraced, and it was a very emotional moment.
– Jerry Colangelo, former Team USA Director
Larry Brown often speaks about his “pay it forward” principle – providing opportunities for other coaches. This is the achievement he values most. Popovich is one of those who received such an opportunity. Evaluating Popovich`s career, Brown notes that he achieved and prioritized this principle to an unprecedented degree in NBA history.
“Spurs disciples” are everywhere: on coaching staffs, in front offices, in basketball operations departments. Wherever you look, you`ll find someone who passed through Popovich`s program. Will Hardy (Utah), Ime Udoka (Houston), Steve Kerr (GS), Quin Snyder (Atlanta), Doc Rivers (Milwaukee) – all have ties to Popovich and the Spurs. GMs Sam Presti (Oklahoma City) and Sean Marks (Brooklyn) are Spurs alums. And countless other assistant coaches, executives, scouts, and staffers whose careers began in San Antonio.
Colangelo points to another important aspect of Popovich`s legacy – his priority regarding European players, where he was significantly ahead of the league.
International players had been drafted before (since the 60s), but it was rare and met with skepticism. The Spurs pioneered the modern approach. They found future Hall of Famers Manu Ginobili (Argentine, 57th pick 1999) and Tony Parker (French, 28th pick 2000). Over the years, the Spurs heavily invested in international scouting. Their locker room featured players from diverse cultures and countries, including Australia, China, Turkey, Serbia, Italy, Nigeria. The more the Spurs won, the more other teams copied them, searching for talent worldwide.
At the start of the 2024-25 season, there were 125 international players (about a quarter of the league) from 43 countries in the NBA. The last six MVP awards have gone to players born outside the US, a trend guaranteed to continue this year (Jokic, SGA, Antetokounmpo).
Popovich said in 2023 that players “were all around the world,” and America didn`t realize or respect it. In the 80s, as an assistant and scout, he felt like “a kid in a candy store” – there were so many great players. The Spurs, of course, remain at the forefront with Victor Wembanyama (French, 1st pick 2023), representing the future of the franchise and the league.
After the Golden State Warriors` Game 6 loss against the Houston Rockets in San Francisco, forward Draymond Green sat on the postgame platform, discussing the defeat and its playoff implications. But that game seemed insignificant compared to the morning`s news – Gregg Popovich was stepping down as head coach. The news hit Green hard. Popovich coached him during the Tokyo Olympics, and they had developed a bond. After the game, Green was so eager to pay his respects that he cut off a reporter`s question and began talking about Popovich`s significance to him.
Like many others, Green sought to demystify the image of Popovich as a tough person and reveal his humanity and generosity. “He`s one of the most incredible human beings,” Green began. “There`s this wall that everyone sees… You ask a dumb question, he`s going to crush you. It appears as if he`s just a mean old man. And he is the complete opposite. The complete opposite. The nicest person you`ll ever meet. He cares about people so much.”
He paused. “I was lucky enough and it was a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to spend a summer with him and play for him,” said Green, his voice starting to break.
Green shared that he gave Popovich the shoes he wore in the 2021 Olympic gold medal game, and Popovich wore them the next time the Warriors faced the Spurs. Every hug since then, Green said, meant even more to him. “It sucked playing against the Spurs this year and not seeing him there,” he said. “And to know that I`ll never have that opportunity again. I just wish I had one last time to hug him on the sideline before a game… I know I sound like he`s dead – but he`s not.”
“He`s meant so much to this league, and he means so much to me.”
Green paused again, composing himself. “Job well done.”
