Victor Wembanyama officially became a member of the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, and longtime head coach Gregg Popovich is undoubtedly looking forward to coaching the 7-foot-2 phenom. As expected, Pop is not going out of his way to show it.
Popovich told reporters at the NBA Draft on Thursday night that he is “very excited” to coach Wembanyama. The 74-year-old also mixed in some of his patented wit.
Pop on coaching Victor Wembanyama: “I’m very excited. You don’t want me to jump up and down, do you? Put on a show? I’d do a somersault, but I’d be out for three months.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 23, 2023
“I’m very excited. You don’t want me to jump up and down, do you? Put on a show? I’d do a somersault, but I’d be out for three months,” Popovich joked.
Even if Popovich agreed that Wembanyama is the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, he would never show it. That simply isn’t his style.
Popovich is the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA by more than a decade. He became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach two seasons ago and now has 1,364 career victories and counting. There has been speculation about him retiring for several years, but it sounds like the Spurs landing Wembanyama might have an impact on Popovich’s coaching longevity.
