Former San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich still hovers around the organization, and he apparently made his presence known following the team’s loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox revealed that Popovich actually went to the locker room following San Antonio’s 123-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and had words for the players.
“Pop’s been around throughout the course of the season, but that was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s BS. That’s not how we play basketball,'” Fox told NBC’s postgame show. “Obviously he had some choice words for us. That was the first time all season he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt. Everybody felt that.”
De'Aaron Fox said Gregg Popovich came into the Spurs' locker room after the Game 3 loss:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 25, 2026
"That was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, 'Nah, that's BS. That's not how we play basketball.' Obviously, he had some choice words for us." pic.twitter.com/CaZSIcfXxL
Popovich may not be coaching the Spurs anymore, but his words obviously carry a ton of weight within the organization. The 77-year-old is still seen at practices and offers counsel to players.
The former coach making unscheduled appearances in the locker room, however, is clearly rare, and it evidently made an impression on Spurs players. They won Game 4 in dominant fashion, 103-82, to even the series at 2 games a piece.
