SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs said Wednesday that Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke earlier this month.
The incident occurred on Nov. 2 at the Frost Bank Center, the same day the Spurs hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Spurs general manager Brian Wright addressed Popovich’s diagnosis during a pregame news conference before their game against the Washington Wizards.
“When we walk into the building each and every day, we feel that leadership. We feel that presence. And so not having him (Popovich), there’s clearly a void. And we miss him.”
Wright said Popovich was “doing well” but did not outline a clear timeline for his return.
“We look forward to the day that we can welcome him back, but it takes a village,” Wright said Wednesday. “And we’re all committed to that. But most importantly, we’re committed to making sure that he has everything he needs and give (sic) him the time and space to continue to recover. We look forward to getting him back.”
Wright was also asked about Mitch Johnson, who has served as the team‘s interim head coach in Popovich’s absence, instead of Popovich disciple and former NBA head coach Brett Brown.
“I think Mitch (Johnson) has done, and the entire staff has done, a phenomenal job of continuing forward, continue to execute on Pop’s vision for the team and how we want to play,” Wright said. “And we’ve played well in these moments. Brett (Brown) has great corporate knowledge as to what we do, why we do it and how we do it and the standards with which we need to operate by. He’s done a great job of supporting and assisting Mitch. The staff, altogether, they’ve done a great job of trying to continue to execute on what Pop has asked this team to do from the start of the season until now.”
Popovich, the winningest head coach in NBA history, hasn’t been on the sidelines since Nov. 2. The team had only said up to this point that Popovich was recovering from a medical issue.
The Spurs said in their statement Wednesday that Pop has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Spurs expressed their gratefulness to the community for the privacy and space for the Popovich family during this time.
Background
Popovich’s career in San Antonio has been record-setting. Pop spent 29 seasons on the sideline for the Silver and Black, making him the only coach in NBA history to spend more than 25 years with one franchise, one of eight to do that in all major U.S. sports leagues. He is the winningest head coach in NBA history, has more road wins than any other NBA head coach, has led the Spurs to five NBA titles, and has even coached the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal.
Along with former point guard Tony Parker, Pop was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, joining other Spurs greats Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and George Gervin, just to name a few. Pop was born in East Chicago, Indiana, and after high school, received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. While he was there, he played basketball for four years, serving as the team captain his senior season and leading the team in scoring that year.
In 1979, Pop was named head coach at Pomona-Pitzer in California, where he would spend eight seasons, leading the team to its first conference championship in nearly 70 years and a berth in the NCAA Division III basketball tournament. In 1988, Pop made the move to the NBA and his first stint with the Spurs, serving as an assistant coach under head coach Larry Brown. He spent four seasons with the team before leaving to join Don Nelson’s staff in Golden State.
In 1994, Pop would return to San Antonio after being named general manager and vice president of basketball operations. He took over as head coach midway through the 1996-97 season. Off the court, Pop helped create the Spurs Youth Basketball League, which is celebrating 35 years this season. He’s also been involved with the San Antonio Food Bank and the Innocence Project.
Popovich has also been vocal on political issues, voicing his opposition to the Trump administration, calling on lawmakers to tackle gun violence, and advocating for women, even naming Becky Hammon to his coaching staff in 2014, making her the first woman to be on an NBA coaching staff.
