Young Spurs Lean on Popovich and Franchise Icons During Playoff Push
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CONTENT:
San Antonio’s newest playoff roster is surrounded by reminders of the franchise’s past. A banner marked “POP 1,390” hangs among the retired jerseys of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker inside Frost Bank Center, honoring Gregg Popovich’s NBA-record regular-season victories and five championships. The banner was raised quietly in late October without a ceremony, exactly as the 77-year-old coach-turned-president requested.
Popovich has remained a daily presence since stepping down after a stroke on Nov. 2, 2024. While he focuses on rehabilitation workouts overseen by Duncan, the Hall of Famer often stations himself in the background of practices at the Victory Capital Performance Center, drawing players eager for guidance.
Learning on the fly
Mitch Johnson, 39, who took over as interim coach the night of Popovich’s stroke and now leads the club, calls that interaction “very Pop-esque.” Point guard Stephon Castle, who logged five games under Popovich as a rookie last season, said players “go up to greet him all the time,” whether the conversation is about basketball or life.
Popovich’s influence extends beyond the practice court. After 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama was ejected in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid, Popovich met the French center at the San Antonio airport. Wembanyama would not repeat Popovich’s words but noted, “When he speaks, everybody listens.” Two nights later, the Spurs routed the Timberwolves in Game 5.
Playoff climb continues
San Antonio can secure its first Western Conference finals berth since 2017 with a victory in Game 6 on Friday night (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime). Of the current starters, only De’Aaron Fox owns previous postseason experience. Seven of the team’s 10 rotation players are 25 or younger and entered this spring without a single playoff appearance.
Hall of Fame hallway
Championship credentials are never far away. Ginóbili, now a special adviser to basketball operations, often eats lunch with three-time champion Bruce Bowen. Duncan, two-time champion David Robinson and 1999 title contributor Sean Elliott are frequent visitors as well. Rookie guard Dylan Harper described walking into the facility and spotting Duncan, Popovich and Ginóbili in one room: “That’s not something you’ll see in any other organization.”
General manager Brian Wright, 43, and Johnson rely on that institutional knowledge while carving their own path. R.C. Buford, 65, the lone executive who has bridged every championship era, acts as a sounding board for ownership, the front office and the bench.
‘Spurs Way’ evolves
Popovich urges Johnson not to imitate him but to coach authentically. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson, who scored a postseason-best 21 points in Game 5, credits Popovich for shaping his professionalism “on and off the court.”
Whether it is a silent banner in the rafters or a quiet word in a hallway, the Spurs’ young core is drawing on the franchise’s history as it tries to write the next chapter this postseason.
Source: ESPN
