Some of the key moments in the career of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who stepped down as coach Friday:
Dec. 10, 1996: The beginning
Saying the team needed a change in direction, general manager Gregg Popovich fired coach Bob Hill and named himself coach on the same day that star center David Robinson was returning to the lineup. The Spurs were 3-15 at the time.
June 25, 1997: Tim Duncan gets drafted
After winning the draft lottery, the Spurs get the chance to take Tim Duncan No. 1 overall in the 1997 draft. The team immediately becomes a contender, and Popovich and Duncan become joined at the hip for the better part of the next two decades.
June 25, 1999: Championship No. 1
Two years to the day after Duncan got drafted, the Spurs beat New York 78-77 to win the NBA Finals in five games.
June 15, 2003: Championship No. 2
Popovich wins coach of the year in a season where the Spurs sent David Robinson into retirement as a champion, beating New Jersey in six games for the franchise’s second title.
June 23, 2005: Championship No. 3
Tied going into the fourth quarter, the Spurs never trail in the final 12 minutes and Popovich wins his third title. San Antonio beats Detroit 81-74 in Game 7.
June 14, 2007: Championship No. 4
Popovich and the Spurs sweep LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning the four games by an average of 6.0 points.
March 16, 2009: Pop reaches 1,000
In a game at Oklahoma City, Popovich becomes the 24th coach in NBA history to reach the 1,000-game milestone. The only coaches with better records after 1,000 games were Phil Jackson and Pat Riley.
April 6, 2011: Pop passes Red
The Spurs beat Sacramento for Popovich’s 797th career win, one that allowed him to pass Boston’s Red Auerbach for the second-most wins with a single team.
June 15, 2014: Championship No. 5
Popovich becomes the fifth coach in NBA history with five championships, the Spurs beating Miami 104-87 to win that title in five games.
Feb. 4, 2017: The most wins with one team
The Spurs defeat Denver and Popovich gets career win No. 1,128, passing Utah’s Jerry Sloan for the most by a coach with one team.
Aug. 7, 2021: USA Basketball wins Olympic gold
Popovich leads the U.S. to its fourth consecutive gold medal in men’s basketball, with the Americans beating France 87-82 at the Tokyo Olympics. “Every championship is special, and the group you’re with is special, but I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I’ve ever felt,” Popovich said.
March 11, 2022: The winningest coach ever
Popovich becomes the NBA’s all-time coaching win leader, with the Spurs beating Utah 104-102 for the 1,336th victory of his career — one more than Don Nelson’s previous mark.
Aug. 12, 2023: Pop enters the Hall
Popovich, after years of resisting because he wanted more of his former players to be enshrined before him, enters the Basketball Hall of Fame. “It’s unimaginable,” Popovich said.
Nov. 2, 2024: Popovich suffers stroke
Popovich had a stroke at the team’s arena in San Antonio a couple of hours before the game that night against Minnesota. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over as acting head coach that night and wound up coaching the team’s final 77 games of the season.
Feb. 27, 2025: Popovich updates his status
Popovich released a statement saying Johnson will finish the season. “Mitch Johnson and his staff have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have shown, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding,” Popovich said in the statement distributed by the Spurs. “I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.”
May 2, 2025: Popovich steps down as coach
Popovich stepped down as coach of the Spurs. “While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach. 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,” he said. Later that day, the Spurs promoted Johnson to the head coach role.
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