Inspiration Series – Coach Gregg Popovich

This has been sitting in my drafts for longer than I care to admit, and today’s passing of the torch seemed like the right time to get these thoughts out there.

With so much of my family based in San Antonio, it’s no surprise the part that Coach Pop has played in forming who I am today. I’m not really into sports of any kind, but I follow and support the Spurs because it’s just what you do when you have ties to San Antonio. My first memories of conscious interest in the Spurs start around 1989, with David Robinson’s rookie year, when Pop was lead assistant to coach Larry Brown. Some rough years were had after that, Popovich ended up doing a stint with Golden State, but he eventually returned to the Spurs in 1994 as GM, to find a team anchored by wild child Dennis Rodman.

Now, I love seeing my team win as much as the next person, and Rodman was certainly securing those wins, but hearing the reports of family and friends about their personal experiences being on the receiving end of his bad behaviour within the community, I had to question whether the cost was too high. The way Pop handled this situation was to send a loud and clear message: We don’t do that here. While some may see their beef as a blemish on both their careers, I, along with the most of the city of San Antonio, saw Pop prioritising the well being of our community over the team’s record. He firmly believed that he and his team had an obligation to serve the community and build it up, not to tear it down. He taught me about one’s obligation to their community through his swift and harsh consequences when players were having a negative impact, as well as through his acts of service, both alone and with his players. From visits to the schools to serving at community dinners, he established the Spurs as servants to the city of San Antonio. He knew that professional athletes are role models to young people in the community, and his actions showed how seriously he viewed that as a personal responsibility.

In 1996, I returned to San Antonio as an adult with a family of my own. The Spurs were on the back end of a slump and “the dark years”, but David Robinson was a shining star showing the path forward, winning the MVP title. Red McCombs was out, HemisFair Arena was a pile of asbestos-filled rubble, and Pop was back as GM. The Spurs were consistently making it to the playoffs, getting closer and closer to a title run, but they were still outplayed in the Western Conference Finals. By the end of the year, Robinson would be named be named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and Pop would take his place as head coach. Despite all of these rising stars, they finished the 1997 season with the third worst record in the league, and won the draft lottery, which Pop used to secure power forward Tim Duncan.

While the Spurs still ultimately got knocked out in the Western Conference Finals again in 1998, their season record showed the true story – the “Twin Towers” were not only driving the team’s offence, but also anchoring the defence. In the 1999 season, they went into the finals as the top seed in the Western Conference and tied with the Jazz for the best regular season record. When they finally achieved their long-sought championship title, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. Instead, I learned the true meaning of “poor sportsmanship” when I heard Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson dismiss their wins, saying that because of the shortened season and series as a result of the strikes earlier in the season, “It will always be an asterisk year.” He doubled down when he insulted the entire community and culture of San Antonio in his bitter criticism of our celebrations, which he called “floating a trash barge down an over-glorified drainage ditch”. A lesser person may have taken the bait and escalated the trash talk, but Pop ignored it, and ensured the focus remained where it belonged – on the people of San Antonio, without whom there would be no Spurs.

In the many years since then, I have continued to watch and learn from Coach Popovich’s signature style of leading by example. While no one can ever accuse him of doing anything quietly, he has never been performative about doing the right thing. When he appointed Becky Hammon as assistant coach, making her the first female coach in NBA history, he made it clear that he felt she was the best person for the job, and under his mentorship, she was able to prove him right. He has repeatedly shown us that when you have a voice that is heard and respected, it is your moral duty to use that voice to speak up for those who can’t. When so many people have opted to “not get political”, Pop used his voice to call out his peers, his organisation, his community, and even international leaders on their acts of social injustice.

So, to Gregg Popovich – thank you for exemplifying what it means to be a leader. Your legacy will live on through all of the lives that you have touched. Mitch Johnson has some might large shoes to fill, but we all know he is in good hands, learning from the undisputed best.