Everything about the city and the San Antonio Spurs feels like it’s expanding, brimming with new energy and residents who’ve moved here to fill the vast open spaces that formerly defined this portion of Texas.
Even before the Spurs chose Victor Wembanyama first overall in 2023, coach Gregg Popovich was inspired by his intensity. “What I appreciate best about them is that they’re like fresh, new starts. “You start at the bottom and teach,” he stated in 2022, after years of guiding a team heavy on veterans.
Johnson, who at 25 is the Spurs’ longest-tenured player, has learned to follow Popovich’s lead. That is why they got at the arena so early on the afternoon of November 2, 2024.
Johnson was there for extra work and therapy before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Popovich, then 75, was there to go through his pregame training routine, which had become vital as he navigated the grind of an NBA season.
However, shortly after leaving his workout outside the team’s locker room, deep inside the arena’s maze of white, silver, and black halls, Popovich came to a halt. According to those familiar with the event, team members who saw him lifting weights noticed something was wrong and grabbed him.
They quickly sat Popovich down.
Johnson heard the commotion as the coach received medical assistance.
“I couldn’t see him,” Johnson told ESPN. “But to see how everybody was talking about it was scary.”
Johnson attempted to approach Popovich, but he was already being treated to by team personnel, who would eventually accompany him to an ambulance outside the arena to a local hospital. Only a few players, staffers, and venue employees were aware of what had happened.
“Nobody really wanted to say anything,” Johnson explained. “Nobody wanted to let us in and explain what was going on. The uncertainty was quite challenging.”
At approximately 5:15 p.m., reporters gathered in the interview room for Popovich’s pregame news conference. Although Popovich is usually on time, being late or missing one of these appointments was not unusual. Last season, he became stuck in traffic on his way from the team’s new practice facility, The Rock at La Cantera.
Other times, he has missed games due to minor medical procedures or personal issues. The assistant coach who had led the scouting on the night’s opponent was usually assigned to fill in.
So it didn’t surprise anyone when Spurs longtime spokesman Tom James entered the room at 5:30 to explain that Popovich was “under the weather” and that assistant coach Mitch Johnson would lead the team that evening.
Behind the scenes, however, word had spread among the squad that what had happened to Popovich — the foundation of one of the NBA’s most successful organizations — was severe and possibly life-threatening.
Doctors would need time to assess the degree of Popovich’s injuries following what was initially diagnosed as a mild stroke. Players were unable to communicate with him for several weeks.
It took several months for him to gain the strength to walk, then stand in front of the team and address them directly.
“It’s been pretty tough for me,” Johnson remarked. “He has been our role model since I arrived here. “He has been that leader.”
So much has happened in the past five months. The Spurs made a blockbuster trade to acquire All-NBA guard De’Aaron Fox. Stephon Castle has emerged as the projected Rookie of the Year. Before being sidelined for the season due to a blood clot in his arm, Wembanyama appeared to be the generational superstar that he was projected as.
But Popovich has not coached since that night, and he will not coach again this season. Veteran Harrison Barnes stated that Popovich is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery. Another report stated that the coach had made significant progress in five months of therapy, whereas many stroke patients take nine months. Still, no one knows if he will be able to return to the sidelines next season.
It’s a strange new reality for everybody. Popovich and the Spurs have formed such a strong bond that it has spurred the ascent of this great franchise. They grew together, evolved, aged, and then started over. Until Popovich came to a halt one day in November, leaving everyone at a crossroads.
The long-delayed succession plan became crucial, and decisions that were previously his to make may no longer be.
For the first time in three decades, the guy who has been the focal point of this city and franchise has been on the sidelines, striving to reclaim his former status.
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