San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich met with the team Thursday for the first time since his stroke and informed the players he is not returning this season.
¡°I¡¯ve decided not to return to the sidelines this season,¡± Popovich said in a statement through the team. ¡°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. I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.¡±
ESPN reported last week that the team expected to finish the campaign without Popovich, who suffered what the Spurs called a mild stroke on Nov. 2 just five games into the season.
Johnson, the interim coach, has led the Spurs to a 22-30 mark (the team is 24-33 overall) in the absence of Popovich, who has coached the team since the 1996-97 season and won five NBA championships.
Popovich¡¯s plans for next season are unknown.
Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history, turned 76 on Jan. 28. He owns a career record of 1,407-843 in 2,250 games with the Spurs. The three-time NBA Coach of the Year was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
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