Gregg Popovich’s tenure as the top coach of the San Antonio Spurs formally got here to an finish late final week when the Spurs introduced he was stepping down after 29 years, however would stay the crew’s president. Popovich’s run as coach of the Spurs was one among constant excellence, successful 5 NBA championships and establishing a tradition in San Antonio that groups have been attempting to duplicate all through the league for years.
Whereas nobody anticipated Popovich to announce his retirement plans early and settle for a year-long retirement tour, his departure from the sidelines was much more abrupt than he or anybody would’ve supposed. After struggling a light stroke in November, Popovich stepped away from the crew and Mitch Johnson took over because the interim coach for the rest of the season. Regardless of a need to get again to teaching, Popovich finally decided that he ought to step again from the bench and solely into the entrance workplace position, with Johnson being shortly elevated to the full-time head coach.
On Monday, the Spurs held an introductory press convention for Johnson, throughout which Popovich made his first public look in entrance of cameras since his stroke. Flanked by Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who’re helping Popovich in his rehab, he took to the rostrum and thanked everybody for all their effectively needs and famous that he is getting higher by the day, however that it hasn’t been sufficient to get again to the place he must be to educate the crew.
“It is fairly a day for many people, however there’s a whole lot of thank yous after 25 or 30 years,” Popovich stated. “Mitch Johnson, Manu, Timmy. I can by no means categorical the gratitude I’ve for therefore many individuals caring about our group and sending me ideas and prayers, that form of factor, since I had this stroke. Issues are getting higher by the day, however it’s not adequate for what we plan forward. So it is time to make this alteration. I need to thank all of you in right here, former gamers, coaches, pals, folks from the ticket workplace and individuals who placed on a present throughout timeouts, all of us have a component on this. It isn’t simply the gamers and coaches, all people that has been devoted to do their half to make us a profitable and thriving group. And that begins on the prime with the Holt household. We’ll proceed to do our greatest to do that with class. It is one of many the explanation why Mitch Johnson shall be taking on, as a result of we now have complete religion in him to proceed what’s been began a very long time in the past.”
He additionally made certain everybody knew what his new job title was, taking off a jacket to disclose a shirt that merely stated “El Jefe.”
“I wanna ensure that everybody understands what my new job is,” Popovich stated as he eliminated the jacket. “I am not Coach, I am El Jefe.”
He then circled to indicate off the again of his shirt that stated “Señor Popovich, President of Basketball Ops” whereas Duncan and Ginobili chuckled.
It was nice to see Pop on the podium, cracking jokes and in good spirits and seemingly pretty good well being. He’s six months faraway from his stroke and clearly he is nonetheless working his method again bodily, however it’s apparent his wit and dry humorousness hasn’t modified a bit. He could not be prowling the sidelines in San Antonio, however he left little question who the boss stays within the Spurs group going ahead.
