San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will reportedly be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a health issue over the weekend, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Assistant Mitch Johnson will serve as interim head coach while Popovich is absent.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich battled a health issue ahead of Saturday’s game and assistant Mitch Johnson is expected to be interim head coach indefinitely, including Monday vs. Clippers and Wednesday vs. Rockets, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qqdDtyc2GJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 4, 2024
The health issue, which has not been disclosed, surfaced before the Spurs took on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. The team announced that Popovich, 75, would not be able to coach the game and that Johnson would assume head coaching duties.
Johnson, who was notified that he would be serving as head coach two and a half hours before the game, told the media that Popovich was “just not feeling well.” The Spurs defeated the Wolves 113-103, and Johnson’s performance on the sideline drew praise from veteran Chris Paul.
“Mitch did a great job, man,” Paul said after Saturday’s win. “I think our entire coaching staff [did]. Things happen all the time in this league and just like the players, it’s the next man up. So shout out to Mitch, he did a great job tonight.”
Johnson also led the Spurs against the Los Angeles Clippers in Southern California on Monday night and addressed Popovich’s absence before the game.
“I want to start by saying that Pop’s impact on our organization is thanks to the players he coached and the staff that worked with him in the San Antonio community,” Johnson said, via ESPN. “It’s hard to express or put into words, and if I tried, it wouldn’t do it justice. He’s been great to me personally, and right now his health is priority number 1. We support him in that 100% and I’ve talked. to him last night. He’s in a good mood. He’s fine, and we can’t wait to have him back.”
Popovich is in his 29th season with the Spurs, the longest-tenured head coach in the league. He leads the NBA in wins with 1,391 career wins and another 170 postseason wins. He has also coached five teams to NBA titles.
The Spurs next take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night before returning to San Antonio for a five-game homestand. While it will feel different from the outside, Johnson emphasizes that it is “regularly scheduled programming” for the team.
“Just stay consistent with the messaging we’ve had,” he said, via ESPN. “He does so much empowerment and delegation when he’s here. In a strange way, it doesn’t feel like I have to do anything super bizarre. We have [assistants] Brett Brown and Matt Nielsen, who sat on my couch. We have a great staff and people who all have a voice that allows Pop to coach and lead hard. So I think it’s just continuing to do what we’re doing. Obviously these are big shoes to fill and we’re going to do it as a group. The boys were great and the players have also gone a step further in that regard.”
