Adam Silver, who became NBA commissioner in 2014, previously served eight years as president of NBA Entertainment from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. This period saw the end of the Chicago Bulls dynasty and the rise and fall of the Shaquille O`Neal and Kobe Bryant Lakers era. These narratives provided plenty of compelling material to promote the league.
However, during this time, a team from a small market without major stars, the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, emerged as a dominant force. Silver recounted a call from Popovich in the late 1990s regarding a playoff promotion spot that featured one player prominently.
“He yelled at me!” Silver said, explaining Popovich`s concern that highlighting an individual could disrupt team chemistry. Popovich, known for his intense demeanor, was not afraid to express his displeasure to players, staff, officials, and media.
Years later, Silver reflected on the core message behind Popovich`s outburst: his unwavering belief in the team concept above any individual and the intense focus required to win championships. Silver noted Popovich`s characteristic humility, rarely seeking credit for his teams` success or his role in developing countless players and coaches. He emphasized Popovich`s honest and humble leadership as key to his nearly 30 years of extraordinary success, alongside his ability to be direct when necessary.
Gregg Popovich`s 29-year tenure as the Spurs head coach concluded recently. The 76-year-old Hall of Famer, five-time NBA champion, and the league`s all-time winningest coach announced his shift to focusing on his role as President of Basketball Operations. This decision followed a stroke in mid-November, after which Mitch Johnson took over coaching duties, first temporarily, then permanently.
As he steps away from the sideline, Popovich`s influence on basketball is undeniable. He maintained an era of consistent title contention while other teams fluctuated, guiding the Spurs to an unprecedented 22 consecutive playoff appearances. He was a pioneer in establishing international scouting long before it became widespread. His numerous victories and accolades place him among the most decorated coaches in American sports history. He built and sustained a highly respected team culture in San Antonio that many organizations, both in basketball and other industries, have attempted to replicate.
Popovich was an early advocate for strategically resting players to extend careers, a practice that later evolved into the league-wide trend of “load management.” He fostered a vast network of coaching and front office personnel, often referred to as a “coaching tree” or “forest,” with disciples now spread throughout the NBA.
Though he might be reluctant to admit it, his willingness to speak openly on social issues, including race, multiculturalism, and his passions outside of basketball, inspired others to do the same.
News of his transition prompted a flood of tributes and memories, each contributing to the complex portrait of one of the NBA`s most unlikely and enduring figures. Many found it challenging to fully articulate the depth of his impact, feeling its scope was too vast for immediate perspective.
However, numerous coaches, players, executives, and league officials reflected on the trajectory of his career, its intersection with their own paths, and the legacy he leaves behind. Former Duke and Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski stated that Popovich impacted more people in the game than anyone else. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played under Popovich, believes everyone who encountered him will speak about him for the rest of their lives.
In the fall of 1966, at the Air Force Academy, assistant coach Hank Egan observed a group of new cadets, including Gregg Popovich. Egan quickly noticed Popovich`s feisty, smart, competitive, and driven nature. Popovich, a versatile athlete and student from Indiana, played basketball for the varsity team for two years, captaining it as a senior.
Popovich expressed a strong desire to stay involved in basketball after graduation. Egan warned him about the challenges of coaching – its demanding, often unglamorous nature, the time away from family, the competitive business, and the lack of high pay. Popovich remained undeterred, telling Egan he wasn`t pursuing it for money but to learn the business.
Before fully committing to coaching, Popovich still pursued a playing career. In 1970, he played for the U.S. Armed Forces all-star team in Eastern Europe. In 1972, he participated in the U.S. Olympic trials. Larry Brown, then coach of the ABA`s Carolina Cougars, attended the trials and saw Popovich as athletic and highly competitive. Despite a push for his inclusion, Popovich didn`t make the final Olympic roster.
In 1975, Brown, coaching the Denver Nuggets, gave Popovich another chance, but ultimately cut him from the team.
By this time, Popovich was an assistant coach under Egan at the Air Force Academy. In 1986, Brown, now head coach at Kansas, invited Popovich, then coach at Division III Pomona-Pitzer, to join his staff as a volunteer assistant for a sabbatical season. Popovich accepted, joining a staff that included future Spurs partner R.C. Buford, future Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, and future NBA coach Alvin Gentry. Brown recognized Popovich`s value, stating he was a tremendous contributor and destined to be a great coach who cared about players and wasn`t afraid to speak his mind. Everyone benefited from his presence.
After a season at Kansas, Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer, where he had previously guided the team to its first conference championship in decades despite early struggles. Brown noted that coaching Division III players and cadets required developing individuals, one of Popovich`s greatest strengths.
In June 1988, Brown, having taken the head coaching job with the San Antonio Spurs, called Popovich again, offering him an assistant position. Popovich, 39, with years of coaching experience, accepted the offer, acknowledging the significant leap from Division III to the NBA. He expressed excitement mixed with apprehension.
Brown observed that Popovich coached players intensely but balanced it with genuine care. He understood the distinction between coaching and criticism. Brown believed this authentic care was Popovich`s greatest strength, enabling him to inspire immense effort from those he led. Popovich moved his family to San Antonio, beginning his long association with the Spurs organization.
In January 1999, Steve Kerr joined the Spurs via trade. Having won multiple championships with the Bulls dynasty, Kerr arrived in San Antonio at a time when Popovich, who hadn`t yet achieved championship success, was not yet widely known as “Pop.” Kerr instantly liked him, recognizing his unique ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
During the lockout-shortened 1999 season, the Spurs, featuring Tim Duncan and David Robinson, started slowly. Kerr noted that Popovich was rumored to be on the hot seat but handled the pressure by keeping the team focused on improvement. Kerr described Popovich as incredibly fiery, especially in that era, though never personally attacking players. He would intensely challenge stars like Duncan and Robinson, yet his manner ensured players still respected and liked him afterward.
The Spurs went on to win their first championship that season. Throughout this success, Popovich often publicly downplayed his role, crediting the good fortune of drafting superstar players like Robinson and Duncan. Kerr admired this humility, seeing it as central to Popovich`s persona and values. He felt the team`s “Pound the Rock” motto, emphasizing persistence and gradual progress, also reflected this modesty and values-based approach.
Kerr highlighted two particular values of Popovich. First, his willingness to address social issues, especially in recent times. Kerr pointed out that while Black athletes and coaches have historically spoken out, it was less common for an older White coach to do so, comparing Popovich in this regard to figures like Dean Smith and John Wooden. Kerr viewed Popovich as a unique American patriot, whose Air Force experience profoundly shaped his worldview and who used his platform to critique the very country he served.
Second, Kerr noted Popovich`s interest in and open-mindedness towards sports science and player health. He identified Popovich as the first coach to strategically rest players. This controversial practice, leading to a $250,000 fine in 2012 when starters were sent home before a national TV game, was defended by Popovich based on science and the goal of extending players` careers and ensuring their readiness for the playoffs. Despite league resistance and rule changes, “load management” became a widespread practice, a trend Kerr credits entirely to Popovich.
Following Team USA`s disappointing bronze medal performance at the 2004 Olympics, where Popovich served as an assistant, Jerry Colangelo took over as director in 2005, aiming to restore the program`s dominance. He gathered basketball leaders to select a new head coach. The consensus top candidates were college coach Mike Krzyzewski and NBA coach Gregg Popovich.
Colangelo contacted Popovich first to gauge his interest. He felt Popovich showed less enthusiasm, which he attributed to Popovich`s reserved personality and still feeling the sting of the 2004 loss. When Colangelo called Coach K, he found him incredibly excited. Based on this, Colangelo decided to meet with Krzyzewski and ultimately offered him the job, feeling confident in either candidate`s ability.
Colangelo publicly explained his decision, mentioning Popovich`s uninspiring phone call. This upset Popovich, who sent Colangelo a letter. Though Colangelo didn`t intend criticism, the reference hurt Popovich, and despite subsequent years of proximity, they did not develop a close relationship.
Krzyzewski led Team USA to gold medals in 2008 and 2012. In 2015, with Krzyzewski planning to step down after the 2016 Olympics, Colangelo sought a successor. He contacted Popovich again. They met in Northern California, patched things up, and Popovich agreed, telling Colangelo, “If you want me, I`m in.” It was an opportunity Popovich had long desired, merging his love for basketball with his patriotism.
The following summer, Popovich and Krzyzewski shared a meal for the first time at a Team USA dinner in Las Vegas. Despite strikingly similar backgrounds – both from the Midwest, attended service academies (Air Force and Army), played under Bob Knight, had long tenures with single teams, and shared passions like food and wine – they had never been close. However, their connection was immediate and deep, like they had known each other forever.
Krzyzewski, who studies leadership, had long admired Popovich`s leadership from afar. He observed Popovich`s ability to build strong relationships with players, integrate stars like Robinson and Duncan, foster a culture of team ownership, and excel in areas like ball movement and lineup management. Krzyzewski regarded Popovich as perhaps the most unique coach ever, in any sport, whose wide-ranging achievements were hard to believe for one person.
Krzyzewski understood the pressure of coaching Team USA and believed Popovich was well-equipped to handle it. His belief proved correct, as Popovich led Team USA to gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, avenging a loss to France from the group stage. After the final game, Popovich shared an emotional embrace with Colangelo, feeling immense relief after the pressure.
Larry Brown emphasizes the importance of “paying it forward” by creating opportunities for other coaches, considering it a key legacy beyond wins and losses. Brown sees Popovich as having embraced this philosophy to an exceptional degree, perhaps unparalleled in the NBA.
Throughout the league, former members of the Spurs organization, often called “Spurs disciples,” are found in coaching roles, front offices, and basketball operations. Prominent examples of head coaches with Spurs ties include Will Hardy (Utah), Ime Udoka (Houston), Steve Kerr (Golden State), Quin Snyder (Atlanta), and Doc Rivers (Milwaukee). General managers like Sam Presti (Oklahoma City) and Sean Marks (Brooklyn) also came through San Antonio`s system. Numerous assistant coaches, executives, and scouts across the league began their careers with the Spurs.
Jerry Colangelo points to another aspect of Popovich`s legacy that profoundly changed the game: his foresight regarding European players. While international players had been in the NBA, the Spurs were pioneers in truly capitalizing on global talent scouting. They famously found future Hall of Famers Manu Ginobili (Argentina) at the 57th pick and Tony Parker (France) at the 28th pick.
The Spurs heavily invested in international scouting, building a diverse locker room with players from various countries. As the Spurs achieved success with these players, other teams began to emulate their approach, seeking hidden gems abroad. By the start of the 2024-25 season, nearly a quarter of NBA players were international, representing dozens of countries. The trend of international dominance is evident in the fact that the last six NBA MVP awards have gone to players born outside the U.S., a streak guaranteed to continue with Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as finalists.
Popovich himself noted in 2023 that many international players were overlooked or undervalued in America. He described his early scouting trips abroad in the 1980s as being “like a kid in a candy store” due to the abundance of talent. The Spurs continue this tradition, with Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in 2023 from France, representing the future of the franchise and potentially the league.
Following a recent loss, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green spoke emotionally about the news of Popovich stepping down as coach. Green, who was coached by Popovich during the Tokyo Olympics and formed a bond with him, felt the news overshadowed the importance of the game.
Green, like many others, sought to humanize Popovich, challenging the perception of a harsh exterior to reveal the underlying warmth and generosity. He described Popovich as one of the most incredible human beings, contrasting the public image of a “mean old man” who would harshly criticize with the reality of someone genuinely caring and kind. Green became emotional recalling the honor of spending a summer playing for him.
He shared a personal anecdote about giving Popovich the shoes he wore in the 2021 gold medal game, and how Popovich later wore them when the Warriors played the Spurs. Green expressed sadness at not seeing Popovich on the sideline this past season and the realization that he wouldn`t get another chance for a pre-game hug.
Gathering himself, Green concluded by saying, “He`s meant so much to this league, and he means so much to me.” He ended his tribute simply: “Job well done.”