Despite his demeanor, it turns out Gregg Popovich has a really big heart.
The legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach stepped down this week after suffering a stroke in November. He will now be the franchise's president of basketball operations. Tributes have poured in for Popovich since that announcement. A story from Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka showed that Popovich could be incredibly emotional despite his brusque personality.
Udoka played for the Spurs from 2007 to '09, then was an assistant under Popovich from 2012 through '19. He told The Athletic's Sam Amick the story of Popovich's reaction when he was finally offered a head coaching job after years of interviewing for openings.
"I had interviewed for three or four years and missed a few opportunities that were close," Udoka said. "So I call him on FaceTime and say, 'Boston offered me the job,' and he's on the treadmill walking when he gets choked up. You see him looking, and he starts crying, and he had to hang up. He was like, 'I'll call you back.' He broke down. His voice is cracking. And he hung up."
That's an incredible story about one of the NBA's greatest head coaches.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ime Udoka Shares Incredibly Sweet Story About Gregg Popovich.
