Would you give the winningest coach in NBA history any less, even if he’s 74? Despite a torrid season that saw the Spurs go 22-60, San Antonio has rewarded Gregg Popovich for all his success and tenure with the biggest contract extension in NBA history at 5 years, $80M.
I know he’s nearly 80 years old, but Pop still has a few more years in him at the highest level.
The San Antonio Spurs have not only given Gregg Popovich, the longest-serving and most successful coach in the history of the franchise, the largest NBA contract extension for a coach with a 5-year, $80M deal, but they also are going to make him the joint longest-serving coach in NBA history. And, as I said, there’s really nobody more deserving of such a reward in the NBA coaching scene today than Gregg Popovich.
When you think about Gregg Popovich and the coaches in NBA history that are best comparable to him, the only names that should come to mind are Jerry Sloan, Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, Chuck Daly, Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Rudy Tomjanovich, etc. That’s how great of a head coach Pop has been for the Spurs.
Starting out in 1996 on a San Antonio team that had been to a single Conference Finals appearance (1994-95) in the franchise’s then 20-year history, let alone an NBA Finals berth or a victory, Popovich took over for Bob Hill and went on to win a grand total of..20 games that season (well, actually he only won 17 games as Hill won the first 3).
Not the greatest start to his career, but his fortune got a whole lot better when the Spurs won the 1st overall pick and drafted franchise icon Tim Duncan.
And, for the next 22 seasons, the Gregg Popovich’s Spurs went on to make 22 straight playoff appearances, win 13 division titles, win at least 50 games from 2000-2017, win at least 60 games 6 times, reach 10 Western Conference Finals, reach 6 NBA Finals, win 5 NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), and see four (and soon to be five when Kawhi Leonard retires) play for the team in David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
Plus, Popovich also became the NBA winningest coach in the league’s 77-year history as he’s racked up 1,366 career wins (most all-time), 170 playoff wins (3rd all-time), and his 5 championships are the joint 3rd-most championships wins of any coach as only Phil Jackson (11) and Red Auerbach (11) have more, while Pat Riley (5) and Minneapolis Lakers HC John Kundla (5) have as many.
Oh, and for one more little fun fact, Popovich is only one of 6 coaches (Jackson, Auerbach, Kundla, Riley, and Steve Kurr) to have won more than 2 NBA championships, while one of 14 coaches to have won at least 2 championships. And he’s going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a few months…despite still being an active head coach.
Simply put, Popovich is a legend and more than deserving of record-breaking 5-year, $80M contract extension and the chance to coach his record-setting 32nd season.
I know some Spurs fans or fans around the league in general might have an issue giving a 74-year-old man who is soon to be 75 (his birthday is January 28th) a contract extension that’ll put him in charge until he’s 79, but Popovich last season showed he still had the hunger, nuance, and tactical ability to coach in the league.
Sure, the Spurs were a dumpster fire on the court, but the roster hasn’t seen any major talent injection since the last few seasons Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker were suiting up for the Spurs. So, for Pop to have been somewhat competitive (this is the only season since 1996-97 he hasn’t won at least 34 games) with average to below average rosters are a testament to how skilled he is against modern day coaches.
And now he’s going to have the chance to coach and develop Victor Wembanyama along with the current core of young prospects the Spurs have built up these last few seasons. Moreover, Popovich’s role at the Spurs isn’t limited to his coaching job as he’s also the president of the team, so this move might account for a permanent move upstairs.
Only time will tell for that, but you don’t need time to know that Pop is one of the best coaches in NBA history and more than deserving of this extension.
Images Source: Featured Image:
