Some big news surrounding Gregg Popovich emerged on Saturday.
Popovich will not return to coach the San Antonio Spurs this season as he recovers from a stroke he suffered in November. Additionally, his coaching future is in question, according to ESPN reporter Shams Charania.
Popovich stepped away from the Spurs after suffering a health issue in early November, which was later revealed to have been a mild stroke. Mitch Johnson began filling in as the Spurs’ acting head coach after that.
The team has gone 24-30 this season and was viewed as ascending since adding De’Aaron Fox to an emerging core that includes Victor Wembanyama. But it’s been a rough week of news for San Antonio; it was announced on Thursday that Wemby would be out the rest of the season due to a blood clot.
Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since the 1996-1997 season. The 76-year-old is the oldest head coach in the NBA. Popovich became the oldest head coach in league history when he was just shy of his 72nd birthday on opening night of the 2020-21 season.
Popovich has won five championships with the Spurs and is the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,390 victories. There has been speculation for years that he could retire, with potential replacements even being floated.
