Six possibilities, as the former Spurs trainer influenced the NBA

Gregg Popovich was head coach in the NBA in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010 and 2020s and won five championships with the San Antonio Spurs, where he set up a remarkable modern benchmark for coaching success.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich announced on Friday that he will return as head coach and entered the role of President of the basketball operations.

Popovich suffered a stroke in November and never returned to the bench.

Although he will still be an integral part of the Spurs and the coaching is ended (“While my love and passion for the game stay, I decided to go as a head coach,” he said in a explanation), the three -time coach of the year leaves an indelible brand for coaching that extends over the NBA and beyond.

Here are six ways of Popovich who influenced the NBA:

How Gregg Popovich influenced the NBA

Change career with the trademark of Gregg Popovich

Popovic won two titles with two high -towering great men – David Robinson and Tim Duncan – at a time when massive centers and power strikers roamed, played and dominated at the same time. But when the game changed, also Popovich. He was not the biggest fan of the 3-point shot, but also understood its meaning.

When he won his last title in 2014, the Spurs shot 46.6% to 3s and made 11 per game against Miami Heat in a win with five games. When Duncan approached the end of his career, Popovich designed a crime about Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills and Danny Green and let them shoot 3S.

Popovich won title in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.

Gregg Popovich dominated the international talent of the mountain tree

Popovich did not present international players in the NBA, but his worldview and his open open-mindedness had a degree in Soviet sciences and completed intelligence at the US Air Force Academy, understanding how basketball was played in Europe and how this could affect the NBA.

Parker, Ginobili, Boris Diaw and Mills were significantly involved in the success of San Antonio.

When the Spurs Victor Wembanyama designed with number 1 in 2023 with number 1, international players were not only a common presence on every roster, they won the regular seasonal and final MVPS and teams had regular scouting presence around the world.

Gregg Popovich was an elite reviewer of the talent

In addition to coaches, Popovich played an outstanding role in the front office. Before he became a coach, he was the general manager/vice president of Spurs of Basketball Operations. It is no surprise that he will continue to perform basketball operations.

Duncan and Wembanyama with No. 1 picks were not awesome, but the pics do not mess up the Spurs either. The Spurs also discovered the Hall of Fame value later in the design. Ginobili was number 57 in the second round in 1999, Parker was number 28 in the first round in 2001 and made a draft day trade for Kawhi Leonard, the No. 15 selection in 2011.

One-off all-star dejount Murray was number 29 in the 2016 draft. Derrick White, today a valuable player for Boston and a gold medalist from 2024 in Paris in Paris for the USA basketball, was drawn in the first round with number 29 in 2017.

Stephon Castle, the selection No. 4 in the draft of 2024, was appointed rookie of the year this week, the fourth Spurs player who won the prize and the second spur in a row to win the award.

Remarkable consistency with a franchise

Popovich joined the Spurs in 1988, spent a few years with Golden State and returned to the Spurs in 1994.

He had a long -term successful partnership with RC Bufford, which is now CEO the Spurs. When other teams are constantly changing the coaches and staff at the front office staff, the Spurs found a model that works. This does not mean that the Spurs will compete for a title every season, but the established vision enables you to operate short -term and long -term traces.

It may not work for other franchise companies, but it works for the Spurs.

Gregg Popovich's extensive coaching tree

Popovich's coaching tree is large, prominent and filled with different success. But that's true: If you have proven yourself on Popovich's employees – whether as an assistant or video coordinator – your chance of getting a better chance with the Spurs or elsewhere is pretty high.

Mike Bodenholzer, Quin Snyder, Brett Brown, Mike Brown, Ime Udoka, Becky Hammon, Monty Williams, Taylor Jenkins, Jacque Vaughn, James Borrego, Jim Boylen, Will Hardy and now Johnson are among the head coaches of the NBA and the WNBA chief coaches, the assistants for Popoviche or coach for popovich.

Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers and Avery Johnson all played for Popovich. Kerr has led the Warriors to four titles in eight years since the head coach in 2014. And Rivers, coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, trained four other NBA teams. He led the Boston Celtics in 2008 to the championship. Johnson trained the Nets Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn.

Budenholzer won a title with Milwaukee and Bodenholzer, Kerr, Rivers, Williams, Mike Brown and Avery Johnson in 2021.

Hammon led the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA to two titles in 2022 and 2023 and was appointed coach of the year in 2022.

Trainers can be more than X and O's

Popovich gives more than basketball. He is a lawyer for human rights and social justice and is not afraid to say what he wants. He is interested in the world. He is a gourmand and a wine lover – he could raise oenophiles.

His dinner – with a small group or the entire team – are legendary. But bread and unskilled bottles were only the vessels to something larger: a human connection. Popovich wanted to know his employees and players. He listened to them and learned from them.

He has a Kantankaric side. He suffered no fools and made it clear. Some of it was Schtick, some of them faithful who he is. But he is also a tender person who enjoyed and appreciated the coaching of relationships.

“I am grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, employees and fans forever, who were able to serve me as head coach of Spurs,” said Popovich in a statement on Friday, “and I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to support the organization, the community and the city, which are so useful for me.”