The San Antonio Spurs announced Wednesday that coach Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke on Nov. 2, and that there isn’t a timeline for him to return to the sidelines. Popovich, 75, is expected to make a full recovery.
The Spurs originally announced on Nov. 2 that Popovich had a health issue and was not planning on traveling with the team on its road trip. The details weren’t publicized until Wednesday (Nov. 13), when the Spurs said Popovich had a mild stroke at the arena in San Antonio prior to the team’s 113-103 win over the Timberwolves.
Per the Spurs statement:
“The San Antonio Spurs today announced that head coach Gregg Popovich has suffered a mild stroke. The episode occurred on Nov. 2 at the Frost Bank Center. Popovich, who has already started rehabilitation program, is expected to make a full recovery. At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined. During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family.”
“He’s at home recovering,” CBS Sports HQ analyst and former NBA coach Avery Johnson said on Wednesday. “I sent him a text two days ago, very very concerned like all of his friends and family. …I received a small text back saying ‘all is well.'”
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the interim coach for San Antonio in Popovich’s absence, and the Spurs have gone 3-3 with him at the helm.
Popovich, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, is currently in his 29th season as the Spurs’ head coach. He has won five NBA championships and has a career record of 1,391-824 (.628 winning percentage) in the regular season.
The Spurs have managed to tread water without Popovich on the sidelines, and while they’re currently 5-6 on the season, they’ve shown some improvements from a year ago when they won just 22 games. Chris Paul has been a positive addition to the roster, and while Victor Wembanyama is still feeling his way around on offense, his defense should once again put him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
