Gregg Popovich

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Lore & Background

Popovich's journey began at the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 1970 with a degree in Soviet studies and captained the basketball team as its leading scorer. After touring Eastern Europe with the Armed Forces Team, he earned a master's from the University of Denver and joined Larry Brown's staff at Kansas. His NBA path started in 1988 as an assistant under Brown with the Spurs. Following a brief stint with Golden State, he returned to San Antonio in 1994 as general manager and vice president of basketball operations. His first major moves included signing Avery Johnson and trading Dennis Rodman for Will Perdue. When the Spurs started the 1996–97 season 3–15, Popovich fired Bob Hill on December 10, 1996, taking over as head coach himself. That disastrous 20–62 season secured the first overall pick in the 1997 draft: Tim Duncan. The pairing of Duncan and David Robinson created a legendary 'Twin Tower' era that powered the franchise to its first title in 1999.

In Their Own Story

On November 29, 2012, Popovich made history for all the wrong reasons during a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat. To ensure his aging stars—Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and Danny Green—were rested for the playoffs, he sat them out without prior notice to the league or media. NBA commissioner David Stern was furious, calling it 'unacceptable' and fining the Spurs $250,000 for what he deemed a 'disservice to the league.' Despite the controversy, Popovich's method of managing load remained a hallmark of his tenure. His resilience shone through in 2014 when he won his third Coach of the Year award and led the team to their fifth title, defeating Miami 4–1 in the Finals. Later, on January 26, 2020, following the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, Popovich proposed a league-wide tribute where both teams took an intentional 24-second violation on their first possessions to honor Bryant's jersey number, a gesture adopted by nearly every game around the league.

Reader's Guide

Popovich is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches ever, holding the record for most wins in NBA history. He surpassed Lenny Wilkens for the all-time winningest coach with his 1,413th win on April 13, 2019, and later passed Don Nelson for regular-season wins (1,336) on March 11, 2022, needing 370 fewer games than Nelson to reach the milestone. He was the first coach to win 1,000 games with a single franchise alongside Jerry Sloan, reaching that mark on February 9, 2015. His tenure saw the Spurs maintain winning records in each of his first 22 full seasons and achieve a winning record against every other NBA team. In 2023, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After suffering a stroke on November 2, 2024, he took an indefinite leave, with Mitch Johnson stepping in as interim head coach. By February 27, 2025, Popovich confirmed he would not return for the rest of the season, ending his 29-year run to transition into a front-office role.

Did You Know?

• Popovich holds a bachelor's degree in Soviet studies from the United States Air Force Academy and served five years of active duty, touring Eastern Europe with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team.
• On April 4, 2008, he received the Distinguished Graduate award from his alma mater, stating it was the most meaningful award he had ever received, surpassing his four NBA titles at the time.
• He is one of only five coaches in NBA history to win five championships.
• Popovich led the U.S. national team to a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.