Basketball great Gregg Popovich steps down as Spurs head coach after nearly 30 years

Legendary hoops manager Gregg Popovich announced Friday that helium volition beryllium stepping down arsenic caput manager of the San Antonio Spurs and volition modulation full-time to president of hoops operations.

The announcement followed Popovich’s lack for astir of the 2024 play pursuing what the team previously called a mild stroke. 

San Antonio Spurs caput manager Gregg Popovich, left, and defender Tony Parker, #9, speech during signifier connected Wednesday, June 12, 2013 successful San Antonio up of Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

"While my emotion and passionateness for the crippled remain, I’ve decided it’s clip to measurement distant arsenic caput coach," Popovich said successful a connection Friday afternoon. "I’m everlastingly grateful to the fantastic players, coaches, unit and fans who allowed maine to service them arsenic the Spurs caput manager and americium excited for the accidental to proceed to enactment the organization, assemblage and metropolis that are truthful meaningful to me."

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Popovich’s tenure comes to an extremity aft a astir three-decade tally that saw him manager the Spurs to five NBA Championships. He remains the league’s all-time wins person and has the astir playoff wins with 1 squad by immoderate manager successful NBA history. His career, which besides included being named NBA Coach of the Year 3 times and an Olympic golden medal, earned him a spot successful the Hall of Fame successful 2023. 

U.S. hoops players each enactment a golden medal connected manager Gregg Popovich during the men's hoops medal ceremonial astatine the 2020 Summer Olympics connected Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021 successful Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

"Coach Pop’s bonzer interaction connected our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the crippled of hoops is profound," Spurs managing spouse Peter J. Holt said successful a statement. "His accolades and awards don’t bash justness to the interaction helium has had connected truthful galore people. He is genuinely one-of-one arsenic a person, person and coach. Our full family, alongside fans from crossed the globe, are grateful for his singular 29-year tally arsenic the caput manager of the San Antonio Spurs."

SPURS COACH GREGG POPOVICH HAS MEDICAL EMERGENCY WHILE RECOVERING FROM STROKE: REPORT

Popovich missed each but 5 games this past play aft suffering a changeable astatine the team’s arena connected Nov. 2. Assistant manager Mitch Johnson took implicit from past on. The 76-year-old manager has not spoken publically since the incidental but addressed the squad successful February wherever helium said helium hopes helium tin "return to coaching successful the future."

San Antonio Spurs caput manager Gregg Popovich looks connected during the 2nd fractional of their regular-season NBA hoops crippled against the Phoenix Suns successful Mexico City connected Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

However, past month, Popovich reportedly suffered a aesculapian incidental portion eating retired astatine a restaurant.

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Popovich volition stay with the Spurs arsenic squad president, a relation helium has held since 1994. In 1996, helium fired Bob Hill and appointed himself manager – a rubric helium besides held for 29 seasons. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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