Major Health Update On Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich

Getty San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

On November 4, the NBA world was rocked by the news that Gregg Popovich, the longtime head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, was set to take a leave of absence “for an indefinite period of time” due to a health concern.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Popovich suffered “an undisclosed illness” before the November 2 game against the Timberwolves. The 75-year-old would therefore not coach the team during the November 4 game against the Clippers or the November 6 game against the Rockets. In Popovich’s absence, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson will serve as the interim head coach against both the Clippers and Rockets.

In a positive update from Spurs beat writer Tom Osborn, Popovich is said to be “OK” and “just needs rest” to recuperate from his undisclosed health issue.

Osborn’s report noted that Johnson was informed only about two-and-a-half hours before the November 2 game that Popovich was unavailable to coach.

Mitch Johnson Stepping In For Gregg Popovich

While speaking to reporters in Los Angeles on November 2, Johnson provided an update on Popovich’s health.

“He’s not feeling well,” Johnson told reporters, via San Antonio Express-News. “This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.”

The Spurs announced Monday that Popovich did not travel with the team for games in Los Angeles and Houston. In Popovich’s absence, the Spurs were seemingly in good hands as Johnson earned the praise of veteran point guard Chris Paul for the job he did in the November 2 win over the Timberwolves.

“Mitch did a great job, man,” Paul said, via ESPN. “I think our whole coaching staff [did]. Things happen within this league all the time and just like with the players, it’s next man. So, shoutout to Mitch; he did a great job tonight.”

Winningest Coach in NBA History

Besides leading the Spurs to five NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, Popovich is the NBA’s leader with 1,391 wins in the regular season and 170 wins in the playoffs. The legendary coach also holds the record for coaching a team to most consecutive playoff appearances, guiding the Spurs to the postseason every year between 1997 and 2019. While that streak ended in 2020, the emergence of Victor Wembanyama has Spurs fans excited about another potential dynastic run.

Many current and former players, including LeBron James, have pronounced Popovich the greatest coach in NBA history.

“I think he’s the greatest coach of all time,” James said of Popovich in January 2017, via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “You have to be sharp, mentally and physically, when you go against his ballclub. If you were an NFL player, it’s probably the same as going against a [Bill] Belichick team,” James said after scoring 21 points with 15 assists and nine rebounds in a 118-103 win over the Phoenix Suns. “What they’re going to do, they’re going to do and you have to try to figure it out.”