Aged 74, Gregg Popovich is in his 27th straight season at the helm of Spurs! We don’t know if it’s the last, but the five-time NBA champion receives tributes from colleagues and players week after week. Before facing San Antonio, it’s Kevin Durant who wanted to highlight his work at Spurs, even in a very complicated season.
“It doesn’t matter who is on the pitch, they give it their all and they play together. They have applied the same system for twenty years and it has worked for them” reminded Kevin Durant before the meeting. “They’re a team that’s had their ups and downs, they haven’t won much this season, but they’re playing consistently every night. He is an opponent who will allow us to improve.”.
Finally, the Suns won without too much difficulty (115-94), validating in passing, for the third season in a row, their ticket to the playoffs. But these statements show how Gregg Popovich has always applied himself to coaching his players in the same (good) way over the years. Kevin Durant knows something about it since his Thunder and the Warriors have often come up against the Spurs in the playoffs.
Inducted into the Hall Of Fame this summer, Gregg Popovich has bonded with many league personalities over the years, from executives like Sam Presti and Sean Marks, to coaches like Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, Will Hardy, Ime Udoka…
As for Kevin Durant, he evolved under Gregg Popovich with Team USA, and together they won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021.
“Even more than the connection with Team USA, I have worked with many people throughout my league career who themselves had worked in the Spurs organization” said Kevin Durant. “You hear stories about Pop and how he led the team. I then had the opportunity to play for him. His impact on basketball in general has been felt for decades and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn alongside him.”.
