The basketball giant is saying goodbye to Nesterovic and Udriha
For a long time, the news hung in the air, and at the end of regular work and in preparation for the NBA set before the new season, he received confirmation. Legendary Gregg Popovich He is finally saying goodbye to San Antonio Spurs coaching chair, where he has been running the team for 29 years and writing down in history as one of the best coaches of all time.
Popovich has been absent from the bench since the beginning of November, when he retreated away from the team due to a stroke and left Mitch Johnson’s management. At the end of February, he claimed at a meeting with the players that he would try to return to the bench in the future, and in April, due to new health problems, a 76-year-old was again hospitalized.
“My passion and love for basketball remain the same, but it is time to say goodbye as a coach. I will be forever grateful to the team, players, assistants and a city who gave me so much, « Popovich said in a press release. By working in San Antonio Spurs, he started in 1988 as an assistant Larry Brown, He has worked as a head coach since December 1996.
Photo: Daniel Dunn/Reuters
With 1422 victories in the regular NBA, Popovich is a record holder, he is also a member of Naismith’s basketball house of the famous. In his career he spent the most beautiful period with Tim Duncanbetween 1998 and 2019, San Antonio took 22 times in a row to the playoffs. He won five championship rings, three times selected as coach of the year.
The last ring won with Kawhi Leonardohis swan songs and the last project should be Victor Wembanyamabut now he will be watching over the career of an excellent Frenchman as president of basketball operations. Popovich also delighted two Slovenes with a championship ring, Radoslav Nesterovic has become champion with San Antonio in 2005, Beno Udrih And in 2005 and 2007.
Gregga Popovich was adored by the basketball players he trained. A particularly tight relationship has been woven with I manage ginobiliThe Argentine described cooperation with his mentor: “We spent many common evenings and talked about everything, politics, basketball, about children. He always put the player first, when we were disappointed, he always told us: ‛If this is the worst thing that will happen to you in life, you are very lucky. ‘ But he knew how to go longer, I will never forget how after a particularly painful defeat he rang at my door at one in the morning with a bottle of wine to put me in a better will. «
