Please note: This article was originally published in March 2022 when Gregg Popovich became the NBA`s all-time winningest coach. On May 2, 2025, ESPN reported that Popovich is stepping down as the Spurs` head coach to fully transition into his role as team president of basketball operations.
Manu Ginobili, a longtime Spurs guard, shared countless meals and conversations with Coach Gregg Popovich over nearly two decades, discussing a wide range of topics from politics and war to basketball and family. Popovich even once appeared at Ginobili`s door at 1 AM with wine to lift his spirits after a challenging game. But among all their famous dinners, one stands out above the rest.
“It was a restaurant near the hotel called Il Gabbiano,” Ginobili recalled. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn`t forget it.”
At this Miami restaurant, named `seagull` in Italian, players were visibly upset and in disbelief after the heartbreaking loss, while Popovich offered comfort to each one. Earlier that evening, on June 18, 2013, the Spurs were on the verge of celebrating another championship until Ray Allen hit one of the most memorable shots in NBA Finals history. It was one of the most devastating defeats for the Spurs during the Popovich era, as the Miami Heat won Game 6 in overtime, eventually securing the NBA Finals in Game 7. Despite this, Popovich stuck to his routine and gathered his team.
“We were moments away from winning the championship,” Ginobili said, his voice still carrying the pain nearly a decade later. “[But Pop`s] motto was, `Win together. Lose together. A man`s got to eat.`”
“So we ate together.”
Even the finest Italian food and wine couldn`t erase the sting of Allen`s shot, or for Ginobili, the offensive rebound Chris Bosh grabbed over him before passing to Allen for the three-pointer. A championship was lost that night. But while players replayed Allen`s catch-and-shoot moment in their minds, Popovich demonstrated what many close to him consider his greatest quality: his unwavering support for friends and players, offering honest truth and reminding them that life extends beyond basketball.
“We talked and we basically cried together,” Ginobili recounted. “He went table by table, talking with different players, trying to cheer us up when we were devastated.”
Gregg Popovich, known as a consoling and compassionate mentor, holds the NBA record for most coaching wins with 1,393 total victories. This achievement is a testament to the 73-year-old`s skill in adapting to the game`s constant evolution, nurturing relationships, and achieving sustained success akin to Bill Belichick`s longevity. Many in Popovich`s circle speak of his remarkable ability to bring perspective to any situation.
“One of his lines we`ve heard many times is, `If this is the worst thing that`s happened to you in your life, then you`ve had a very lucky, blessed, and fortunate life,` Ginobili shared.”
The following year, the Spurs defeated the Heat 4-1 to claim their fifth championship.
“He demands the absolute most from you,” said Ginobili, who played 16 seasons with the Spurs. “What makes him truly great is that the day after a tough moment, or even hours later, or even at his house on Christmas Day, you might expect him to be angry, upset, or disappointed with you.”
“And then suddenly, you`re drinking wine and just talking, as if whatever happened in the game never occurred.”
For each of his 1,393 wins, there seem to be even more stories highlighting how Popovich impacts lives far beyond the basketball court. Here`s what others who have worked with and played for Pop shared about the winningest NBA coach`s keys to success:
Tony Parker: Managing a Team, Even on Christmas
Former Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who joined the NBA at 19 from France and spent 17 seasons under Popovich, winning four championships and the 2007 Finals MVP, recalls:
“My best Pop story is during Christmas. We were supposed to have Christmas dinner, and he promised we wouldn`t work. After a while, I found myself in his room watching film for the next game. So, you never stop working. His toughness, his desire to win, his work ethic – that`s what best describes him. For me, he was like a second father in my career. I feel very blessed to have had him for almost my entire career. His ability to manage a team, everyone`s egos, and how he got along with everybody is what makes him the greatest coach of all time. I`m very happy for Pop; that`s a tremendous achievement.”
David Robinson: Elie Has to Get His `Game On`
Hall of Fame center David Robinson, who played 14 seasons with the Spurs, earned numerous individual honors including MVP and a scoring title before winning two championships alongside Tim Duncan under Popovich, shares:
“One of the things I think is really funny, but it shows how Pop handles different personalities. We were watching film one time, and Mario Elie was taking some shots on the film that were bad shots. So Pop said, `Come on, Mario. Good shot, bad shot?` And Mario was like, `Come on, Pop. I got to get my game on.` And Pop just laughed. It`s the way he handles them. He knows when to push you, push your buttons, and when to back off. And he`s been such a great encourager over the years. I think most of the people that have played here feel like Pop is on your side, which is not always the case [with other coaches].”
Mike Brown: Pathfinder Pop Shows Compassion in Multiple Ways
As an assistant for three seasons with the Spurs, Mike Brown (now the Sacramento Kings head coach) witnessed firsthand Popovich`s deep care off the court:
“I will never forget this: We brought a strength coach in as an intern who wasn`t getting paid much at all. His internship was up, and he had gotten a new job as a youth counselor in Colorado. He didn`t have the money to move there, and unbeknownst to anybody, we found out later that Pop bought him a brand new [Nissan] Pathfinder just because he knew that the young man didn`t truly have the means to get to his destination and start his new life as a youth minister.”
“Another story: I was going through a separation at the time… my boys were living in Colorado with their mom, and I was [in San Antonio]. I will never forget, they were out here for about a week, and my sister was about to take them back because we were about to go on the road. When I dropped them off at the airport, the [team] plane wasn`t far away. They [the boys] were really crying at the gate because they didn`t want to go. I was about to be late. I was torn.”
“I called Pop and said, `I am going to be there, I am at the airport, my kids are having a tough time getting on the plane to go back. But just give me a few more minutes.` And he goes, `Mikey, you should just stay here.` I said: `No, no, no, Pop.` Because we were going to Chicago, and it was my scout, and I needed to go. [I told Pop,] `The kids will be all right.`”
“He said, `If you show up to this plane, you`re fired.` I said, `Pop, come on, man! Listen, I`m packed and ready. I`ll be there in [a little bit].` He said, `Remember, if I see you on this plane, you`re fired.` Click. He hangs up on me. So I stayed back with the kids for an extra three days. So, literally, these are just two stories off the top of my head of many that show his true character.”
DeMar DeRozan: Pop and Penguins
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan played three seasons in San Antonio and will never forget one film session where he and the Spurs received a life lesson, Nat Geo-style:
“I remember Pop made us watch a penguin National Geographic movie. It was very interesting. It was basically learning about teamwork. How to come together as one and go after a common goal, whatever that goal was. I thought it was going to be a day where we watch film. But we watched a full penguin movie – and it was the most interesting s—.”
“How they migrate. How the males watch the eggs while the female goes out for X amount of months to go collect food. How they walk 60 miles to the water and 60 miles back while the males watch – it was the most craziest s—. But everybody basically playing their role. But to look at it from the perspective of penguins, that`s some Pop s—.”
Monty Williams: `He Cared Enough to Tell Me the Truth`
Monty Williams played two-plus seasons for the Spurs from 1996 to 1998, later starting his coaching career as an intern and working in the front office. After his wife Ingrid died in a car accident in 2016, Popovich insisted on visiting him:
“I always thought that he was misunderstood, because he could stand up for a political issue, or if you watch the in-game interviews, you could be like, `Man, that guy is pretty rough.` The way he cared for me, during a tough time in my life, told me everything I needed to know about him. When I was in OKC, he was hurt because I wouldn`t let him fly up. I knew he had a lot on his plate. He`s like, `Mon, I`m getting on the plane to come.` And I said, `Pop, I`m good. I just got to figure this out.` He just kept telling me, `Mon, you got to let people help you.`”
“And it impacted me because I`d been around him since the mid-`90s, and he had been studying me. He knew that I was independent to a fault. And he knew that the one person I trusted was gone. So in his mind, he kept trying to get that across to me. And I would get off [the phone] and look at my phone like, `Why does he keep saying that?` He cared enough to tell me the truth. And that`s the thing that has stuck out about our relationship.”
“Outside of Coach Hickman, who was my high school coach, and Coach Westbrook, who was my football coach, who invited me to church, there`s nobody in my life more important than Pop, athletically and personally, just because of the care he had for me and my family. And those words that he said to me on a tough, tough day in my life.”
Don Nelson: `I Learned More from Him Than He Learned from Me`
Legendary innovator Don Nelson, one of the top-10 coaches of all time and the previous career wins record holder before Popovich, reflects on hiring Popovich as an assistant in Golden State in 1992:
“He`s just the greatest coach to ever lace them up. When I hired him as an assistant coach [in Golden State in 1992], I figured he could learn something from me. But I learned more from him than he learned from me, that`s for sure.”
“When I hired him, I met him for the first time when he flew in to get interviewed. And I hired him the same day, I think… I had watched him work before games, and I just thought that that`s a guy that I should have. He`s everything and much more than I ever thought I was going to get.”
“The first thing he did when he got to Golden State, he set up a summer league for young kids to play in and stay off the streets. They would play from 10 o`clock at night until 2 in the morning. And he got an award for that. He was there every night with the kids. It was in Oakland. There were hundreds of kids involved in the program. It was wonderful. He really did a great job keeping the kids off the streets and out of trouble.”
Mike Budenholzer: A Sense of Humor is Mandatory in San Antonio
Mike Budenholzer, a Spurs assistant for 17 seasons who won four titles before becoming a successful head coach elsewhere (including winning a championship with the Bucks in 2021), notes Popovich`s unique evaluation criteria:
“I will say that when he was evaluating players or we were evaluating players, if they don`t have a sense of humor, they probably were not going to last in San Antonio. And if they couldn`t laugh and especially laugh at yourself, it was a huge deal to have a sense of humor. He likes to be around people that have a good sense of humor that were smart and self-deprecating.”
“If they can`t laugh at themselves and don`t have that self-deprecation that he has, Tim [Duncan] and Manu and everybody has, it`s kind of, red flags go up. I will just tell you it`s real. It`s a real checkmark that you got to pass.”
Steve Kerr: Pop`s `Master Class` at the Olympics
Steve Kerr, a former Spurs guard who won two championships under Pop and later served on his Team USA coaching staff for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), offers insights into Pop`s private side and leadership:
“He is a private guy. A lot of the stuff, a lot of the stories I don`t know if he would want public. He values his privacy and the privacy of the people around him. I can tell you that he snuck some wine into the Tokyo Hilton, and I hope they don`t extradite him and punish him retroactively.”
“The coaches` meetings that we had in Tokyo were just phenomenal. Master class in leadership, camaraderie, and chemistry, and just beautiful to be a part of. To watch him work behind the scenes as a fellow coach was amazing to me. I played for him for four years, but it was different to be on his staff.”
Chad Forcier: `Remember the Brand Pelle Pelle?`
Chad Forcier, who spent nine seasons as a Spurs assistant coach and won a title in 2013-14, shares a story highlighting Popovich`s spontaneous compassion:
“One that shines the light on the human element, in terms of his awareness, his compassion for human beings, and just always being so quick to recognize that need to try to do what he could to help somebody in a moment – we had dinner at Ristorante Sotto Sotto in Toronto one night a long time ago. It`s an insanely cold night in Toronto. It`s probably 5 degrees out. Pop had this leather jacket. Remember the brand Pelle Pelle? He had this designer brand-name jacket. And he throws it on, and we start taking our walk back to the Four Seasons. We see this homeless guy. There`s six or seven of us walking, and it`s got to be the coldest place in the NBA on this night of any city.”
“Pop sees him, maybe takes a stride past him and notices him against a doorway, stops, reaches into his pocket. I don`t know how much cash he had, but he wadded up a wad of bills, stuffed them into his coat pocket, takes his leather jacket off, and lays it over the homeless guy to give him a layer of warmth. The guy never wakes up; he`s asleep. We walk four or five blocks, and Pop is in his button-down dress shirt. And off we go.”
Erik Spoelstra: `There`s a Popovich Mafia`
Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat coach forever linked to Popovich by their two consecutive NBA Finals matchups, also worked with Popovich in the USA Basketball program. He shares his perspective on Pop`s influence:
“We`re extremely grateful to have that opportunity on the biggest stage with two organizations and with the Spurs… But my most treasured memory would be this past summer, just even working with him for those two and a half weeks with [the Team] USA program. We can talk for days about his Hall of Fame basketball credentials, but I just love him as a human being and how he makes you feel like you matter. And that`s everybody in the room. That is a gift, that`s a skill, his human management ability, that is the best I`ve ever seen.”
“You know what I did joke about it? Because I`ve never been involved really in the USA program. That`s why I was so humbled and excited just about the opportunity to be a part of it. Once we had the dinners and everything, I finally mentioned to Pop, `I felt like I`ve been part of the [Pat] Riley mafia for all these years, and there`s a Popovich mafia, and then there`s a [Jerry] Colangelo mafia. So we have all the different families, and I am just extremely grateful that you`ve allowed me to be part of it.`”
Taylor Jenkins: Win or Lose, `Life`s Going to Go On`
Taylor Jenkins, now the Memphis Grizzlies coach, started his NBA career as an intern in the Spurs basketball operations department and coached their D-League team before joining former Popovich assistants elsewhere. He recounts a memorable post-playoff moment:
“Probably my fondest memory of Pop was 2011. It was at the end of their season. I was with the Austin Toros [as an assistant coach] at the time. They [the Spurs] were the 1-seed, and it just so happened they played the Memphis Grizzlies, who were the 8-seed. A grind-it-out series, the Grizzlies got the best of the Spurs, and it was obviously a very tough defeat. Despite such a tough ending to the season, I remember getting a phone call from someone in the front office that said, `Hey, Pop would like to invite you over to his house with all the coaches and all the players for an end-of-season party.`”
“All the players and their families and their kids were there. He invited the entire D-League staff, and we just had a great meal, knowing that life`s going to go on, life`s going to be just fine. Let`s celebrate still what was a great season, not just go out and have these months ahead of us of going `what if.`”
“He was showing off his wine cellar. I remember going into the kitchen and he had his favorite chef from his favorite restaurant in San Francisco, who he was buddies with, fly to San Antonio to make the entire meal for everybody. I`m sitting there as a fly on the wall, just as I was in the gym, amazed at the camaraderie, the family atmosphere, the togetherness. Obviously, everyone was stinging in the back of their mind.”
“You just see how Pop leads in so many different ways, bringing people together. To see that moment, when a championship was probably within their reach and ran into a tough matchup with the Grizzlies, he still said, `Hey, we still have a lot to enjoy. Nothing better than enjoying each other.` It was pretty special. He had a huge smile on his face the entire day, socializing in the kitchen and on the patio, taking people to his wine cellar, kids playing around by the pool. Then for him to embrace me and the entire D-League staff was really special, knowing that everyone was a part of this journey.”
Jason Kidd: Just `Kidd`ing, Pop
In the summer of 2003, Jason Kidd was the top free agent, and Popovich and the Spurs aggressively pursued him. Kidd initially committed to the Spurs during his visit before changing his mind and re-signing with the Nets. Now the Dallas Mavericks` coach, Kidd reflects:
“If I recall, I woke up, there was a chef in the suite cooking breakfast… I was amazed. It was just a great [visit]… sitting with him and Duncan, and then going to the practice facility, the presentation was by far very impressive.”
“Pop, they did an incredible job of bringing me down in San Antonio and telling me how I was going to fit in with Duncan and Parker. And I committed to them and left. And when I got back to Jersey, things changed. I don`t know if he took it well. But incredible, incredible human being, incredible coach. I still think about if I would`ve committed to San Antonio, what it could have been.”
“[Pop] just told the truth. Just said, `We just need your talent. We want you to be a part of this to help us win championships.` He doesn`t beat around the bush. He`s very honest, straight, told me what he expected… I was on board. I thought I was really going to San Antonio. I was all excited, but things changed. Unfortunately.”
Dennis Lindsey: Double Dinners, Double the Waistline
Dennis Lindsey served as the Spurs` vice president and assistant general manager before becoming the Jazz GM. Now an adviser, he recounts the famous team dinners:
“The dinners are famous. The double dinners, those of us who have tried to opt out of the dinners because we were getting too fat. What always impressed me was the time that Pop spent in searching out restaurants, menus, wine menus… there`s so many stories. There`s Brett Brown trying to skip out at dinner. There`s Steve Kerr and Danny Ferry trying to figure out what restaurant Pop would go to, as players, so they could get a free meal. We were in the playoffs against the Clippers, and Danny and I were getting too portly around the waist, so we decided that we were going to skip a course or two. You know, there`s 20 guys in there [at the table]. Pop had researched the restaurant. Everybody tried to beat him to the restaurant, and he`d always be the first one there. Danny and I are skipping these courses, and Pop belts out, `Hey, Ferry, Lindsey! Don`t think I don`t know that you`re trying to skip some courses! Get your ass eating!`”
“But the greatest gift of the San Antonio program is there`s a lot of us that would be in basketball – maybe coaching high school or small college basketball – but there`d be a lot of us that wouldn`t be in the positions that we`ve attained without a San Antonio stamp of approval.”
Dejounte Murray: `Damn Sure Going to Enjoy It`
Dejounte Murray, drafted by the Spurs in 2016 and an All-Star in 2022 with the team, speaks about Popovich`s humility regarding his success:
“Pop doesn`t like praise. He doesn`t like any of that. It`s kind of a good thing. But you also want to remind him of his success because it`s rare. Because he`s a guy that just wants to focus on winning and every day. He never brings up anything to praise himself.”
“We don`t talk about it, but we damn sure are going to enjoy it when we do get [the record] for him because he`s a great man and he deserves it. He pushes all his players, whether you`re the first guy, last guy, G League player, 10-day contract, he embraces you from day one. He deserves everything. We don`t talk about it, but I look forward to getting that for him because it`s going to be important and good for him.”
P.J. Carlesimo: `He`s Way More of a Positive Than Negative Guy`
P.J. Carlesimo, a former NBA head coach who spent five seasons on Popovich`s staff and won three championships there, highlights Popovich`s unique coaching style and relationships:
“We won three championships in the five years that I was there. As good of a coach as he is, to me, it`s more his ability to relate with his players both on and off the court. And he spends way more time off the court in terms of his relationships with his players than I think most coaches. It`s his ability to connect with people and the fact that he genuinely cares about them, and their family and them as individuals – that comes across, and players know that. I think that also enhances his ability to be demanding at times – because he is demanding. But he`s way more of a positive guy than a negative guy. Guys want to play for him because they know he cares about them.”
“So there`s a constant dialogue going on with people who are part of the program or have been part of the program over the years. And food is part of that, honestly. And he`ll always say if you got people with you, just bring them [to dinner]. He`s got a rule – if he`s ever in a restaurant and a player is in a restaurant or an assistant coach in the restaurant, he picks the tab up. And it`s not a San Antonio credit card that he`s putting down; it`s a personal credit card.”
Antonio Daniels: Different Eras and Different Generations
Point guard Antonio Daniels, who played four seasons with the Spurs and won a title in 1999, explains why he considers Popovich the greatest coach ever:
“I`ll tell you why I think he`s the greatest coach in the history of the sport. Because he has the ability to adjust in different eras, different generations, and different decades. Other folks can`t do that. No disrespect to any other coach out there. But there are certain coaches who were successful coaching one particular style. If that style and the way the roster is constructed doesn`t fit with that particular coaching style, then it doesn`t work. Pop has the ability to use and change his offensive style according to his personnel… His ability to adjust on the fly as a coach is incredible.”
Joe Prunty: `Here`s the Next Game. Are We Prepared?`
Joe Prunty started his NBA career with the Spurs in 1996 as an assistant video coordinator, held various positions including assistant coach until 2005, and won three titles in San Antonio. He shares a key lesson from Popovich:
“He wants to win that next game, and that`s one of the things he taught me: `OK, here`s the next game. Are we prepared for it? How do we do it? Let`s go do it.` And it`s not about me. It`s about what we can accomplish.”
“He`s competitive. And he has been since even before I ever met him, but knowing those stories about him at the academy or just how he`s built, and being in meetings and strategizing, and not leaving any stone unturned. He brings the best out of people in terms of, `Look, this is what we need from you.` And he`s demanding. He wants you to be great, and so that`s why the players that have gone through the program and the success that they`ve had, not only as players and moving on to different teams if they haven`t stayed, but also in becoming coaches and general managers – the coaches that have been with him and have moved on – he gives you that confidence because he wants you to participate.”