Gregg Popovich Bids Farewell to Coaching

News of enormous impact in the basketball world. Gregg Popovich, the legendary coach who led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships, is bidding farewell to coaching. After nearly three decades at the helm of the Texan team, which made him the coach with the most victories in the history of the best basketball league on the planet, a total of 1,388, the coach born in the state of Indiana, the cradle of basketball, has decided to end an unparalleled career to become the full-time president of operations for the franchise, as reported by Shams Charania, the league's most well-connected insider.

Popovich had been away from the front line since suffering a stroke in November 2024, and in April of this year, he had to be hospitalized again after a medical emergency in a restaurant. At 76, all these health issues suggested that Popovich would eventually step aside, a fact that was confirmed this Friday. However, retiring as a coach does not mean Popovich is saying goodbye to basketball, as he will now direct the present and future of the Spurs from the offices.

"While my love for basketball continues, I have decided that it is time to step aside as a coach," Popovich stated when announcing his retirement from coaching. "I will always be grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff, and fans who have allowed me to serve them as the head coach of the Spurs. I am excited about the opportunity to continue supporting the organization, the community, and the city that means so much to me," he added.

The history of the Spurs changed in 1996, the year Popovich took over the Texan bench after Bob Hill's dismissal. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he played basketball for four years, Popovich first worked for the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant to Larry Brown and returned to Texas in 1994 after spending two years assisting Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. He first assumed the role of general manager and, after Hill's dismissal, also became the head coach of a franchise he completely revolutionized.

Under Popovich's leadership, the Spurs won the championship in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014, and he was named Coach of the Year in 2003, 2012, and 2014. On March 11, 2022, he surpassed Don Nelson's 1,336 victories, becoming the coach with the most wins in NBA history. Under his guidance, the franchise grew exponentially, reaching the heights with stars like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker.

The gradual disappearance of all those legends, and the departure of other stars who also made history with the Texans, like Kawhi Leonard, led the Spurs to undertake a deep reconstruction in which they are still immersed, with the arrival of Victor Wembanyama last year being crucial. Popovich positioned the French 'alien' as the keystone of a project that will continue to grow, now with the great coaching legend working solely in the offices.

A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame since 2023, Popovich also achieved the gold medal leading the United States team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.