San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich released a statement on February 27th saying that he will not be returning to the sidelines this season as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered back on November 2nd, 2024.
“Mitch Johnson and his staff have done a wonderful job, and the resolve and professionalism the players have shown, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding,” said the NBA’s all-time coaching wins leader.
After meeting with the San Antonio Spurs organization on Thursday, Popovich released the statement, adding that he hopes to return to the team next year.
BREAKING: Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich addressed team today for first time since suffering a stroke to update them on his recovery and to inform that he’s not returning this season, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/ECeDWmWjfx
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 27, 2025
“I’m told that it was an emotional meeting between Gregg Popovich and all of his players for the first time since he suffered the stroke in November,” said ESPN’s Shams Charania. “My understanding [is that] tears were shed because players saw their coach – who is clearly recovering from a stroke [and] still rehabbing – and they saw the physical side of someone who has had something that’s clearly hindering him from the stroke… He wants to coach. He badly still wants to be out there. And that’s what players see.”
It sounds like Popovich didn’t want to spend the entire time with his team talking about his health.
“A lot of the meeting was also filled with typical Pop,” Charania added. “That’s motivational messages. That’s the wit. That’s critique. That’s praise and advice for players.”
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 27, 2025
“Pop isn’t just a coach or a boss,” said Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama earlier this month. “Pop is a leader.”
Gregg Popovich became the head coach of San Antonio in 1996 and has served as the team’s leader for 29 seasons. During his illustrious career, he has led the franchise to five championships and has been named the NBA Coach of the Year three times. In 2022, he passed former Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks head coach Don Nelson for the most regular-season wins in NBA history.
