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By Tim Reynolds | Related Press
Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich has been away from the staff as a result of he suffered a light stroke earlier this month, the San Antonio Spurs introduced Wednesday.
Popovich is in his twenty ninth season as coach of the Spurs and there’s no timetable for his return to the sideline, the staff stated. The stroke happened on Nov. 2 on the staff’s enviornment, and Popovich is predicted to make a full restoration.
The 75-year-old Popovich, the NBA’s all-time win chief and a coach of 5 Spurs groups that gained league championships, has already began a rehabilitation program, the staff stated.
“Throughout this time, the group is grateful to the prolonged neighborhood for offering privateness and area to the Popovich household,” the Spurs stated in a launch.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the performing head coach in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs play at dwelling Wednesday in opposition to Washington, and that would be the seventh straight sport the place Johnson shall be filling in for Popovich.
Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, and greater than half one million People have a stroke yearly.
The Spurs have been enjoying the Minnesota Timberwolves at dwelling on Nov. 2, and Popovich’s medical episode there occurred within the hours earlier than that sport. Johnson took over for that evening’s contest, which the Spurs gained, after the staff stated Popovich was not feeling effectively.
Johnson and Popovich spoke the next day. The Spurs had not launched a lot in the best way of particulars since, previous to Wednesday’s announcement concerning the stroke.
“Proper now, his well being is the No. 1 precedence,” Johnson stated on Nov. 4, including, “He’s in good spirits. He’ll be OK. He’s OK. And we are able to’t wait to have him again.”
Popovich is one in every of solely three coaches to win the NBA coach of the yr award 3 times, Don Nelson and Pat Riley being the others. He’s one in every of 5 coaches with a minimum of 5 NBA titles; Phil Jackson (11), Purple Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5) are the others.
Popovich has been a part of the Spurs for practically 35 years. He was an assistant coach from 1988 by means of 1992, then returned to the membership on Could 31, 1994, as its government vice chairman for basketball operations and common supervisor. He made the choice to fireplace coach Bob Hill and appoint himself coach on Dec. 10, 1996.
He’s been the Spurs’ sideline boss ever since.
Popovich’s 29-year run with the Spurs is a span the likes of which has been practically unmatched in U.S. main professional sports activities historical past.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, George Halas coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years and John McGraw managed the New York Giants for 31 years. These three tenures — all wrapping up effectively over a half-century in the past — are the one ones exceeding Popovich’s run with the Spurs; his 29-year period in San Antonio matches the tenures that Dallas Cowboys’ Tom Landry and the Inexperienced Bay Packers’ Curly Lambeau had in these jobs.
Initially Revealed: November 13, 2024 at 10:45 AM PST
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