The NBA world was shocked by the news Friday of Gregg Popovich stepping away from coaching, though he’ll remain with the San Antonio Spurs as their full-time president.
News of his departure after 29 years on the job followed a mild stroke in November, which kept Popovich from calling plays for the team this season. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson, who served as the interim, will take over as permanent head coach. Johnson has been an assistant with the Spurs for a decade and became the interim head coach in November after Popovich’s health scare.
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“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a team statement. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”
Several NBA stars and celebrities praised Popovich for his decorated coaching career, including NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and rap artist Lil Wayne.
Antonio Daniels played under Popovich for four seasons, winning the 1999 NBA championship together.
Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996 and is the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 victories. His resume includes five NBA titles, 18 straight 50-win seasons, 170 playoff wins and three NBA Coach of the Year honors.
Before becoming the head coach in San Antonio, Popovich was an assistant for the Spurs from 1988-92 and for the Golden State Warriors from 1992-94. The East Chicago, Indiana, native also played for the United States Air Force Academy from 1966-70 and helped Team USA win gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside Villanova coach Jay Wright.
