In a little bit over 36 hours, Gregg Popovich will lastly, formally be a Corridor of Fame coach. Whereas he’ll all the time be generally known as an outdated curmudgeon who doesn’t take jack from anyone and notoriously dislikes media consideration, he additionally has his humorous facet. In gentle of Pop’s enshrinement, I assumed it might be enjoyable to have a look again at his funnier moments, from pranking gamers on the ground, to harassing his interviewee on the sidelines, and typically with out even attempting to be humorous.
One in all his most well-known and meme-able interviews got here from his “No one’s comfortable” sideline interview with David Aldridge. Lesson discovered about asking Pop about something “comfortable”.
Right here’s one the place he can’t consider he has to do the interview within the preseason, inserting his rule of solely permitting two questions. Lots of his greatest moments got here with the late, nice Craig Sager.
Figuring out Pop’s tendency for cantankerous solutions and making reporters uncomfortable, Charles Barkley tried his luck, and whereas he really received two solutions out of Pop, he received the lecture for breaking the golden rule and attempting to slide in a 3rd.
Actually, it may be best to only watch a “Better of Pop interviews” video as a result of there’s too lots of them to rely.
Pop may be humorous exterior of interviews and was by no means above having a little bit enjoyable on the expense of others. Right here he his pranking Shaquille O’Neal (and to an extent, the league) with Hack-a-Shaq on the primary play of the 2008-09 season after he had used the tactic within the first spherical of the playoffs just a few months prior, to a lot criticism. Largest Pop smile ever?
Or perhaps his greatest smile got here courtesy of Manu Ginobili channeling his interior Pop with two-word reply when requested about him following the 2014 Western Convention Finals.
There have been additionally instances when Pop was not-so-tough. Again when Joffrey Lauvergne dislocated his finger (which was not humorous), the video went viral, partly due to Pop’s response. He admitted after the sport that he couldn’t have a look at it as a result of he’s a “wiener”.
Lastly, and maybe most related to Saturday’s actions, right here is he’s turning into the winningest coach of all time in 2022 however not wanting something to do the celebration. He tries to slide out earlier than the gamers encompass him and make him benefit from the second earlier than he ultimately shoves his means by. Then, again within the looker room after the gamers douse him with water, he threatens to make them run suicides on the subsequent shootaround.
Perhaps Pop didn’t need to have fun then, however he may have no alternative however to relish the second a smile a bit on Saturday, and perhaps even shed a tear together with the remainder of us.
Clearly we got here nowhere close to capturing all of Pop’s funniest moments, so what are a few of your favourite Pop moments? Be at liberty so as to add extra within the feedback under!
