San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was taken to a hospital after a medical incident at a restaurant on Tuesday night but is now home and doing well, a source told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
Gregg Popovich Suffered A Mild Stroke In November
The Spurs moved 38-year-old assistant Mitch Johnson into the head coaching role on an interim basis after the 76-year-old Popovich, who is the oldest coach in NBA history, suffered a mild stroke in November and missed the rest of the season.
According to TMZ Sports, Popovich was placed onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital with what officials said was a non-life-threatening injury or illness. Sources told TMZ that Popovich was alert when he entered the ambulance.
On Nov. 2, Popovich suffered what the Spurs called a “mild stroke” ahead of a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His long-term status as a head coach remains unclear.
Popovich has coached the Spurs since the 1996-97 season, and the Indiana native is the NBA’s winningest coach with 1,412 regular-season victories and another 170 in the postseason to go with five championships.
In July 2023, Popovich agreed to a new five-year contract with the team, valued at more than $80 million. Popovich, who has an average annual salary of $17 million, is the second-highest-paid NBA coach behind Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr ($17.5 million).
Spurs Have Already Put Together An Offseason Plan
Per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, the Spurs are reportedly preparing for the possibility that Popovich might take time away from the team again in the future to prioritize his health.
Johnson said the Spurs have already put together an offseason plan that will be pursued in the days ahead, starting later this spring, by the staff in Popovich’s absence.
“I think I haven’t had time to deal with it yet,” Johnson said after the season finale on April 13. “I understand it’s a fair question and I think I will, hopefully like everybody that’s gone through this, take some time away, catch my breath and spend some time with family. This organization is still prioritizing Pop’s health.
“In time, he will do what he needs to do and make decisions. That will go through this organization on very many levels. We really put together that plan as a group. Obviously, my role has changed in nine years. What I’m doing this spring won’t be what I did eight years ago, but the player development has been at the forefront since I’ve been here.”
The Spurs have “steadfastly maintained internally that [they] would let Popovich decide whether he wants to return for a 30th season in San Antonio,” according to Wright.
Popovich Has Remained In Contact With The Organization
Gregg Popovich, who also serves as the team’s president, has remained in contact with Johnson and general manager Brian Wright throughout his absence, as well as with Spurs players, by providing support and input on game plans.
“It’s not one person to fill Pop’s shoes in this moment. It’s a village,” Wright said 11 days after Popovich’s stroke. “We’ve all bonded together. We’re all playing our roles in that part, and we’ll continue to do that. It’s what he would want.”
Spurs CEO RC Buford, Popovich’s closest friend and the architect of most of the franchise’s title teams, said in January that the coach was “attacking his rehab.”
“The same resilience he’s shown over the course of our career as a coach, he’s approaching his return in his rehab in an incredibly unique way,” Buford said. “The relationships he’s had with former players and the care they’re sharing with him is amazing, and his improvement continues.”
In addition to winning five NBA championships, Popovich is also a three-time Coach of the Year (2003, 2012, 2014) and four-time All-Star Game head coach (2005, 2011, 2013, 2016).
