By Jordan Long
The San Antonio Spurs earned a spot in the Play-In tournament in the Western Conference as the 10th seed with a record of 34-48. Unfortunately, their season came to a close at the hands of the 9th seed New Orleans Pelicans who beat them 113-103. Questions are swirling if that could be Gregg Popovich’s last game ever as a Head Coach.
Gregg Popovich started his coaching career with the Spurs in the 1996-1997 season. The Spurs were awful at 17-47. That was not indicative of things to come as Popovich turned the franchise around.
From 1998 to 2019, the Spurs earned a playoff spot, the longest postseason streak in NBA history. San Antonio even advanced to the NBA Finals 6 times. They would win the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA Champions 5 of those 6. The only year they didn’t was in 2013 when they were beaten in 7 games by the Miami Heat.
Popovich has accomplished a lot in his NBA coaching career. Besides winning 5 NBA rings, he has been NBA’s Coach Of The Year 3 times. He was even the Head Coach for the USA Olympic Basketball team in 2021 when the Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan even though they were supposed to be played in 2020. They were moved a year due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. They won the gold medal.
When the final buzzer sounded last night, Popovich didn’t say what his future would hold. According to Yahoosports.com, when Popovich was asked about if he was coming back next year Popovich said, “That question is inappropriate.”
There is nothing left for Popovich to prove in the NBA. He won 5 titles. Most NBA coaches would take 1 ring but 5 is remarkable. Coaches don’t get the longevity he has enjoyed with the Spurs. Some coaches are let go after 1 poor season or not even advancing past the first round. Popovich’s overall regular season record is an impressive 1,344-701, an outstanding winning percentage of .657. Popovich’s wins are the most in NBA History as a Head Coach. In the NBA postseason, his record is 170-114, a winning percentage of .599. Popovich will be in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame soon. He has earned that right.
The only reason for Popovich to keep coaching is his contract. He has one more year left on it. The Spurs are rebuilding the team and were lucky to make the Play-In tournament. Who knows if they will be a top 6 seed next year which would avoid the Play-In Tournament. Popovich, though, doesn’t want to go out with a loss. It wouldn’t be a surprise for him to fulfill his contract, coaching next season and have that be his last. Popovich is the only one that knows when it is time for him to walk away.
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