Current:Home > InvestSpurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery -OceanicInvest
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
View
Date:2025-04-18 19:29:12
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! (42)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Efforts to build more electric vehicle charging stations in Nevada sputtering
- Where's Travis Kelce? Chiefs star's disappearing act isn't what it seems
- What we know about the investigations surrounding New York City’s mayor
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- New Lululemon We Made Too Much Drop Has Arrived—Score $49 Align Leggings, $29 Bodysuits & More Under $99
- Family of Missouri woman murdered in home 'exasperated' as execution approaches
- What we know about the investigations surrounding New York City’s mayor
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Oregon elections officials remove people who didn’t provide proof of citizenship from voter rolls
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Cyrus Langston: Tips Of Using The Average Directional Index (ADX)
- Judge rules out possibility of punitive damages in Smartmatic defamation lawsuit against Newsmax
- Kim Kardashian Reveals What's Helping Kids North West and Saint West Bond
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Eric Stonestreet says 'Modern Family' Mitch and Cam spinoff being rejected was 'hurtful'
- Man serving life for Alabama murder also sentenced in Wisconsin killing
- Reggie Bush sues USC, Pac-12 and NCAA to seek NIL compensation from football career 2 decades ago
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
See Christina Hall's Lavish Birthday Gift for Daughter Taylor's 14th Birthday
The last of 8 escaped bulls from a Massachusetts rodeo is caught on highway
Harris is more popular than Trump among AAPI voters, a new APIA Vote/AAPI Data survey finds
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Jennifer Lopez Sends Nikki Glaser Gift for Defending Her From Critics
Climate solutions: 2 kinds of ocean energy inch forward off the Oregon coast
Damar Hamlin gets first career interception in Bills' MNF game vs. Jaguars