San Antonio Spurs head coach and Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich is currently recovering from ‘a mild stroke’, the franchise announced on Wednesday.
The five-time NBA champions revealed earlier this month that Popovich was suffering from an illness, but it has now been confirmed that he had a stroke on November 2 at the Frost Bank Center, the home of the Spurs.
San Antonio added that although Popovich has already started his rehabilitation process and is expected to make a full recovery, he will remain out indefinitely as the timetable for his return is unknown.
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 13, 2024
The 75-year-old, who suffered the stroke before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, has missed their last seven games as he continues to recover from what was initially referred to as an “undisclosed medical incident”.
Meanwhile, assistant coach Mitch Johnson has handled the team in interim capacity in Popovich’s absence and has led them to a 4-3 record, including their 139-130 home win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said before Wednesday’s game. “Coach Pop has been the leader of this organisation for the last three decades. We all have come across or know people that just have a different aura, a difference presence about them.
“Clearly, he’s one of those people. When we walk into the building each and every day, we feel that [Popovich’s] leadership, we feel that presence and so not having him there’s clearly a void. And we miss him.”
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with an outstanding win-loss record of 1,393-827 since he took over the Spurs in the 1996-97 season. He guided San Antonio to five championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Under his tutelage, the Spurs won at least 50 games in 18 consecutive seasons from 1999-2000 to 2016-17, and he has coached some of the best players in history, including Hall of Famers David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
Popovich has won the NBA coach of the year award thrice, along with Don Nelson and Pat Riley. He is also one of just five coaches to win at least five titles, joining Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5).
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, and signed a five-year contract extension with the Spurs in the same year.
