Back on November 2, Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke and had to relieve himself from his coaching duties in San Antonio until he had built back his strength. Over four months later, the date of his return still isn’t clear, but his record very indicates that it might just be around the corner.
Just three weeks ago, during an off-day between NBA matches, legendary tactician Gregg Popovich came back to the Spurs training facility to talk with the team for the first time since his health incident. He made sure everyone around knew that he had been watching the team’s games.
San Antonio player Keldon Johnson recalled what happened in the locker room when Pop first stepped in. “Everybody shut the f*** up when he walked in,” he recalled. “That’s just how it’s always been with Pop. Obviously, he’s still recovering.
Gregg Popovich has made significant progress since suffering a stroke in November and is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery. No one at the Spurs knows whether he can return next season.
“It’s Pop’s decision,” one person close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.” pic.twitter.com/HSvQqnzj18
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The forward said that the all-time coach with most NBA wins acted liked his old self. “But he was still cussing. ‘Y’all need to play defense. Y’all need to rebound.’ Knowing that, s***, he really is watching the games because he’s calling out specific situations, was huge,” the 25-year-old shared.
Keldon then added: “It was what we needed. I feel like he brought that life, that spark. That Pop that we all knew and loved. He came into that meeting and that’s who he was. It was like he didn’t skip a beat.”
According to Harrison Barnes, news of Popovich’s recovery was good as he is “ahead of schedule.” However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s return to the sidelines is near, as the 76-year-old had already announced that he would not return this season and the next campaign is still in doubt.
Whenever he is ready, the Spurs organization will receive him with open arms, it is mostly about making the best decision according to his health. “It’s Pop’s decision,” one person close to the situation told ESPN recently. “He’s earned that.”
