If you thought Gregg Popovich’s treatment of NBA sideline reporters was bad, you haven’t seen anything. Think about how hard the San Antonio Spurs coach must be on his players.
During an interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter, Spurs point guard Tony Parker admitted Popovich made him cry as a rookie.
“Oh yeah,” Parker said when asked if Pop ever made him cry. “A couple times during my rookie year it was tough because he’s a tough coach to play for. He’s very demanding. Now he’s got better, he’s more like easy, but back in the day he was like really tough.”
Parker actually touched on this subject last year. The all-star point guard said that the current rookies are lucky that Pop is so nice to them. Parker said that Pop, a former Air Force Academy graduate, mellowed with age and because of wine.
Parker also said in his interview with Mark Schwarz that his shot to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat was the best of his career. But he admits that he will never forget the way the team let the series get away.
Parker is now 31 and is in his 13th season with the Spurs. It’s been over a decade since Popovich berated him to the point of tears, but maybe the harsh treatment helped the point guard become the excellent player he is today.
