The San Antonio Spurs announced on Friday that Gregg Popovich would be stepping down from the team as head coach and transitioning into the role of team president.
While Popovich will have an incredible lasting legacy as a coach, the 76-year-old admitted on Monday that he knew it was time to move on from the role. The stroke he suffered in November that kept him sidelined for the rest of the season seemed to be the main reason for his decision.
"I can never express the gratitude that I have for so many people caring about the organization and sending me thoughts and prayers, that sort of thing, since I had this stroke," Popovich said. "Things are getting better by the day, but it's not good enough for what we plan ahead, so it's time to make this change."
In addition to his stroke, Popovich suffered another medical incident in mid-April as he was taken by ambulance from a San Antonio steakhouse after fainting at the establishment. He seems to be recovering well from the incident.
Mitch Johnson, who took over as interim coach for Popovich this past season, will replace Popovich as head coach. Popovich officially introduced him as the new coach on Monday while sporting an "El Jefe" shirt to signal him becoming "the boss" as the Spurs' president.
Popovich leaves the coaching world with quite an impressive résumé. He is the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 regular season wins. Popovich also won five NBA titles with the Spurs, which makes him just one of five coaches in NBA history to win at least five championships. He ranks third all-time on the playoff winning list.
Some of Popovich's other NBA accomplishments include him being named NBA Coach of the Year three times, and him taking the Spurs to 22 consecutive playoffs from 1998-2019. He also coached the United States' men's basketball team for 2019 FIBA World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics, where the team won their fourth consecutive gold medal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gregg Popovich Explains Why the Time Was Right for Him to Move on From Coaching Spurs.
