Venerable San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will return for a 28th season — and several more.
The Spurs announced Saturday that Popovich, who also serves as the team’s president of basketball operations, had signed a new five-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Popovich will make more than $80 million.
There was speculation 2022-23 might be Popovich’s last season. Nebulous quotes and his election into the Basketball Hall of Fame fueled that talk.
In March, he told reporters, “What the hell am I doing here? Do I need to do this?” But added when he gets to practice and sees his young players fired up, “I wouldn’t trade it.”
At 74 years old, Popovich still has a passion for coaching.
Earlier in the 2022-23 season, he said, “I think the little voice in my head will tell me, ‘That’s enough.’ When I’m tired of telling someone, ‘Well, why are you getting beat backdoor so much? Can you please stay in front of somebody? Maybe you want to touch him and block him out a little bit. Maybe when we shoot a shot, you want to run back that way with a little bit of effort instead of loafing. Get your ass in gear.’ When I stop wanting to do that, then I’ll know it’s over.”
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Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and considered one of the greatest ever with five championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and three coach of the year awards (2003, 2012, 2014). During the 2021-22 season he was named one of the 15 best coaches in league history.
The Spurs were 22-60 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, the longest drought of his career.
For two decades the Spurs were a fixture in the playoffs, making deep runs with a Hall of Fame coach and Hall of Fame players David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. From 1998 through 2019, the Spurs made the playoffs every season for a record 22 consecutive appearances.
San Antonio won the draft lottery and selected 7-foot-5 French phenom Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall, giving Popovich another potential star big man to build around.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt
