San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich released a statement Monday regarding the state of his health.
The 75-year-old endured what was described as a mild stroke on Nov. 2 at Frost Bank Center and hasn’t returned to the team yet. Mitch Johnson, who has been an assistant with the Spurs since 2019, has served as San Antonio’s interim head coach amid Popovich’s absence.
“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” Popovich said in the statement. “As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way.”
Full statement below:
Statement from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who suffered a stroke on Nov. 2: pic.twitter.com/VPyXDvaSC5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 16, 2024
In typical Popovich humor, he poked fun at himself in saying, “No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process. They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”
While he seems to be in good spirits, there was no update provided on when he may actually return to the bench, though the fact that he hinted he’ll be returning at all is probably the biggest positive to take away.
Popovich is in his 29th season as Spurs head coach and has the most wins by a coach in NBA history with 1,391 regular season wins, to go along with 170 playoff victories.
San Antonio is currently 11th in the West and an even .500 on the season at 13-13, the last 21 games coming without the guidance of five-time champion Popovich. With Victor Wembanyama leading the way, the Spurs are firmly in the mix for a spot in the Play-In tournament, trailing the 14-12, 10th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers by a single game. Johnson’s shepherded San Antonio to an 11-10 record in place of Popovich.
The Spurs return to the court to face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
