The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the sport’s biggest teams and a large part is due to coach Gregg Popovich. We have not seen him coaching the team in over a week as he has been recovering from an unspecified health issue. However, his health issue that was reported on Nov. 4 has now been revealed. Let’s take a closer look at the reports and see what this means for Gregg Popovich’s return to the San Antonio Spurs and his future.
Why Gregg Popovich Hasn’t Coached Lately
ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2 and that was the medical issue that kept him away from the basketball court for the previous week. First and foremost, his health is the most important aspect and in the report, Charania did mention that he is expected to make a full recovery. However, his return to coaching the San Antonio Spurs is still in question. The San Antonio Spurs provided an update on Gregg Popovich’s medical update.
“The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Head Coach Gregg Popovich has suffered a mild stroke. The episode occurred on Nov. 2 at the Frost Bank Center. Popovich, who has already started a rehabilitation program, is expected to make a full recovery. At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined. During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family.”
Since Popovich suffered the mild stroke, Mitch Johnson has been the coach of the team while he recovers. Sources have also stated that he is prepared to coach the team for the remainder of the season if needed.
What has Gregg Popovich done as an NBA coach?
Gregg Popovich has been dominant as he leads the NBA with 1,390 career victories as a coach and won 170 playoff games throughout his 29-year coaching career. He also is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with his five NBA Championships. He has been one of the best coaches in NBA history and is also the oldest coach in NBA history so it will be interesting to see how much longer the 75-year-old Popovich wants to be coaching.
