Gregg Popovich is taking some time to address his well-wishers after his recent health issue.
On Monday, the longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Popovich released his first public statement ever since suffering a stroke in early November. Popovich issued a statement of gratitude and hinted at an eventual “return to the bench” (though he declined to provide any specific timetable).
“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” Popovich wrote. “As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful to our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends.
“No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process,” he added in the statement. “They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”
The 75-year-old Popovich has coached the Spurs since 1996, winning five NBA championships and compiling an all-time record 1,401 regular season coaching victories. But he suffered the stroke just before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 2 and has been away from the team since.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has stepped in as San Antonio’s interim coach ever since then, leading the team to an 11-10 record in Popovich’s absence (13-13 overall on the season). It is definitely great to hear directly from Popovich about his recovery though to follow up on the last update that the Spurs gave about him several weeks ago.
