Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs’ iconic head coach, suffered a small stroke on November 2 before the team’s sixth game of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Popovich away from the club to focus on his health, lead assistant Mitch Johnson has taken over as temporary head coach for the Spurs.
You can’t recount the tale of this San Antonio franchise without mentioning Popovich, who helped develop the team into one of the most successful in league history. Popovich’s impact in the league extends to several current head coaches and assistants, which is why he has gotten unwavering support from every NBA organization during his recuperation.
While missing the most of the 2024-25 season, the league’s all-time winningest coach continues to recover from this frightening medical episode. Although it took several months for him to get the strength to walk again and address the squad, Popovich is focused on one goal: returning to the sidelines for his 30th NBA season next year.
According to Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN, all signs point to Popovich being able to do so, as the 76-year-old head coach has progressed in five months of recovery to the place where many stroke victims are after nine months.
Harrison Barnes, a veteran forward, noted that the Spurs head coach is “ahead of schedule” in his long recuperation journey to achieve normalcy in life.
However, it is questionable whether Popovich will be able to return for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Spurs’ future under Popovich
Johnson has stepped up and done an excellent job guiding the Spurs at a critical juncture.
Victor Wembanyama had a fantastic second season in the league and showed to be an MVP-caliber player in San Antonio. Following his first All-Star appearance, Wemby was forced to miss the rest of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
Along with Wembanyama, the Spurs continue to develop a number of youthful, athletic, and high-potential players, including Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle, who could win this season’s Rookie of the Year title. The Spurs also made one of the most significant in-season signings in franchise history, trading for De’Aaron Fox and pairing him with Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.
San Antonio’s interim coach has learned a lot from Popovich.
Johnson, 38, has been Popovich’s right-hand man for the past few seasons since joining him in 2019. He will continue to run the franchise in Popovich’s absence, making him the most likely successor when the Spurs great is ready to retire.
However, Popovich has no plans to retire now or in the middle of the 2025-26 NBA season. This stroke was a setback that Popovich is determined to recover from. Popovich, like his teammates who have dealt with ailments throughout the years, has the same stubborn mindset of refusing to let this medical obstacle dominate his life.
While this is still a continuing recovery process with many barriers ahead, Popovich’s intentions have not changed. Coaching is his life. Popovich wants to prove not only that he can return to his players and the organization, but also to himself.
When the time comes to retire, he will be remembered as the greatest coach in NBA history. Popovich, on the other hand, is determined to overcome this setback and return to the San Antonio Spurs’ bench as their head coach.
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