Current:Home > StocksSpurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery-LoTradeCoin
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
View Date:2024-12-23 17:06:27
Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich has been away from the team because he suffered a mild stroke earlier this month, the San Antonio Spurs announced Wednesday.
Popovich is in his 29th season as coach of the Spurs and there is no timetable for his return to the sideline, the team said. The stroke happened on Nov. 2 at the team’s arena, and Popovich is expected to make a full recovery.
The 75-year-old Popovich, the NBA’s all-time win leader and a coach of five Spurs teams that won league championships, has already started a rehabilitation program, the team said.
“During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the Spurs said in a release.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the acting head coach in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs play at home Wednesday against Washington, and that will be the seventh straight game where Johnson will be filling in for Popovich.
Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans have a stroke every year.
The Spurs were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Nov. 2, and Popovich’s medical episode there occurred in the hours before that game. Johnson took over for that night’s contest, which the Spurs won, after the team said Popovich was not feeling well.
Johnson and Popovich spoke the following day. The Spurs had not released much in the way of details since, prior to Wednesday’s announcement about the stroke.
“Right now, his health is the No. 1 priority,” Johnson said on Nov. 4, adding, “He’s in good spirits. He’ll be OK. He is OK. And we can’t wait to have him back.”
Popovich is one of only three coaches to win the NBA coach of the year award three times, Don Nelson and Pat Riley being the others. He’s one of five coaches with at least five NBA titles; Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5) are the others.
Popovich has been part of the Spurs for nearly 35 years. He was an assistant coach from 1988 through 1992, then returned to the club on May 31, 1994, as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager. He made the decision to fire 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 nearly unmatched in U.S. major pro sports history.
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. Those three tenures — all wrapping up well over a half-century ago — are the only ones exceeding Popovich’s run with the Spurs; his 29-year era in San Antonio matches the tenures that Dallas Cowboys’ Tom Landry and the Green Bay Packers’ Curly Lambeau had in those jobs.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
veryGood! (38)
Related
- Katharine Hayhoe’s Post-Election Advice: Fight Fear, Embrace Hope and Work Together
- Queen Elizabeth II's Final 5-Word Diary Entry Revealed
- Wendi McLendon-Covey talks NBC sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' and hospital humor
- Olivia Munn Randomly Drug Tests John Mulaney After Mini-Intervention
- Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
- Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
- Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries
- Over 1.4 million Honda, Acura vehicles subject of US probe over potential engine failure
- 2 credit unions in Mississippi and Louisiana are planning to merge
- Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Prove They're Going Strong With Twinning Looks on NYC Date
Ranking
- Chris Wallace will leave CNN 3 years after defecting from 'Fox News Sunday'
- Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5
- Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
- Mariah Carey's Amazon Holiday Merch Is All I Want for Christmas—and It's Selling Out Fast!
- Research reveals China has built prototype nuclear reactor to power aircraft carrier
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- 13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
- Contained, extinguished and mopping up: Here’s what some common wildfire terms mean
Recommendation
-
Hurricane forecasters on alert: November storm could head for Florida
-
Chris Evans Shares Thoughts on Starting a Family With Wife Alba Baptista
-
'I know how to do math': New Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp deal is not coming back
-
Ben Foster Files for Divorce From Laura Prepon After 6 Years of Marriage
-
What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general
-
Republican Gabe Evans ousts Democratic US Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado
-
As Northeast wildfires keep igniting, is there a drought-buster in sight?
-
How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style