There have been many moments which have come to outline the 2024-25 season for the Spurs. What began as a promising run for the postseason within the 2024 portion became one other journey to no-man’s land in 2025 as a number of well being points have taken a toll, leaving the Spurs within the awkward spot of being too good to fall to the underside of the standings however doubtless not adequate to make a run for the play-in, regardless of being shut and the struggles of a number of different groups in the course of the Western Convention standings.
Whereas most will (rightfully) keep in mind Victor Wembanyama’s season-ending prognosis of deep vein thrombosis as being the second that derailed the season, there was one other occasion that has come outline this season all they again on November 2. Anybody who has saved observe is probably going conscious that that is the night time Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke just a few hours earlier than a sport in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he has not been seen by the general public since.
4-and-a-half months later, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright did a deep dive into what went down that night time and what has been happening behind the scenes ever since because the oldest, most profitable coach within the NBA fights to return to his dream job.
The whole lot appeared effective that night. Gregg Popovich was on the Frost Financial institution Middle for a exercise, and Keldon Johnson had arrived early to beat the visitors and for some remedy when every thing all of the sudden modified.
However shortly after stepping away from his exercise subsequent to the crew’s locker room, deep contained in the warren of white, silver and black hallways on the enviornment, Popovich stopped in his tracks. Workforce staffers who have been round whereas he was lifting weights knew one thing was off and grabbed him, in accordance with sources with data of the scenario.
They instantly sat Popovich down.
Close by, Johnson heard the commotion because the coach started receiving medical consideration.
“I couldn’t see him,” Johnson informed ESPN. “However to see how all people was speaking about it was scary.”
Whereas the Spurs informed reporters that Pop was below the climate so Mitch Johnson can be teaching the sport, it ended up being a lot worse: a stroke, which is brought on by a blood clot denying blood provide to the mind. (And whereas they might later outline it as “minor” in a press launch, a stroke remains to be a stroke, and even “minor” ones require an intensive and grueling restoration interval.)
Behind the scenes, although, phrase had begun to unfold among the many crew that what had occurred to Popovich — the rock upon which one of many NBA’s most profitable franchises has been constructed — was severe and maybe life-threatening.
It will take time for medical doctors to find out the extent of the injury Popovich suffered after what was deemed a gentle stroke. Gamers weren’t in a position to discuss to him for weeks. It was a number of months earlier than he was robust sufficient to stroll after which stand in entrance of the crew and converse on to them.
Whereas sources have mentioned that Pop is enhancing at a complicated tempo — reportedly about 4 months forward of schedule in comparison with others who’ve suffered comparable strokes — there may be nonetheless no telling when or if he’ll return the sideline (definitely not this season), however we all know he needs to.
He was effectively sufficient to fulfill with crew by the tip of January, however with the Spurs’ loopy schedule and the Rodeo Street Journey, it was robust to search out the time. They lastly discovered an opportunity on February 27, between the Spurs’ penultimate sport of the RRT in Houston and last sport in Memphis. Pop got here by the apply facility to fulfill along with his crew for the primary time in practically 4 months, and this was additionally latest Spur De’Aaron Fox’s first probability to see Pop since becoming a member of the franchise on the commerce deadline just a few weeks prior.
On the apply courtroom at The Rock, Popovich stood in entrance of his crew to ship a message: He wasn’t coming again this season, he informed them. However he had been watching them intently and was nonetheless in place to carry them accountable for his or her play.
“All people shut the f— up when he walked in,” (Mitch) Johnson mentioned. “That’s simply the way it’s all the time been with Pop. Clearly, he’s nonetheless recovering. However he was nonetheless cussing. ‘Y’all have to play protection. Y’all have to rebound.’ Understanding that, s—, he actually is watching the video games as a result of he’s calling out particular conditions, was enormous.
“It was what we would have liked. I really feel like he introduced that life, that spark. That Pop that all of us knew and liked. He got here into that assembly and that’s who he was. It was like he didn’t skip a beat.”
He spoke a bit extra slowly than earlier than, extra measured. Carrying an all-black sweatsuit, Popovich talked in regards to the future, one he hopes features a spot on the head of the bench. But additionally he cautioned, reiterating a normal that has come to outline his three many years on the helm.
“If I can’t be 100% myself, I’m doing all people a disservice.”
There was discuss for practically a decade about who shall be Pop’s substitute, since he had all the time teased that he would retire with Tim Duncan. That ended up not being the case as he couldn’t step away from the crew he liked, and he even discovered a brand new love for teaching a rebuilding crew as a substitute of a championship contender since, as he as soon as mentioned, the younger gamers have been a clean slate. The arrival of Wemby simply added extra gas to his ever-burning teaching hearth.
Now, for the primary time in his profession, issues are extra unsure. As he informed his gamers, he gained’t come again if he’s not 100%. Whether or not he will get there or not stays to be seen, and if he doesn’t, who amongst a protracted checklist of potential successors, together with Johnson, is a subject for one more day. However for now, one factor is for sure, it’s totally Pop’s selection.
“It’s Pop’s resolution,” one individual near the scenario informed ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
There’s far more to Shelburne and Wright’s article, so make sure you go learn it in its entirety when you will have 20 minutes. It’s a tremendous perception not simply into Pop, however the group as a complete and interim head coach Mitch Johnson. It additionally definitely places life into perspective.
