The San Antonio Spurs have been through a lot over the past week.
First, they had to shut down Victor Wembanyama for the entire season with a worrisome blood clot condition.
Now, it seems like their legendary coach won’t be back at all.
According to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Bleacher Report), Gregg Popovich won’t return this season, and his future with the organization is ‘uncertain.’
Spurs HC Gregg Popovich is not expected to return this season, and “his future is uncertain” as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered in November, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/kObCtd3d6N
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 23, 2025
Popovich has been away from the team and recovering from a mild stroke he sustained earlier in the season, and this has been the first actual update we’ve gotten ever since.
He led the team to six trips to the NBA Finals and five championships in 22 postseason berths, establishing himself as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – coaches in basketball history.
Needless to say, this is a lethal blow to a team that’s looking to get back to contention.
Then again, basketball might be the last thing on their minds right now.
Coach Popovich has become a pillar of the franchise, the community, and the basketball world as a whole.
His coaching tree runs deep in the NBA, and he’s one of the most influential figures in sports history, as he laid the blueprint for what a winning organization looked like.
Popovich also took the reins of Team USA and coached some of the most talented players the game of basketball has ever seen.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to recover from this health scare and continue to live a long and fulfilling life, even if it’s not on the sidelines.
