Pop stepping down as Head Coach of Spurs

[GoHorns1]

Pop announced he stepping down as HC of the Spurs and will focus on being President of Basketball Operations which he is  currently in addition to HC. Will miss his presence on the court.

Edited May 2 by GoHorns1

[Bobby Burton]

Wow. End of an era. 

[Bobbers]

 While he annoys the hell out of me, I have to say that he's one of the five best coaches in my lifetime in any sport.

[Texasborn91]

Great coach. Gave me a lot of great childhood memories and seems like an honestly good person. Sad day. 

[UTexas]

Great coach. I don't care for him personally but he is definitely one of the best coaches ever.

[Jeff Howe]

We knew this was coming, but it's still the end of an era in professional sports.

[Hashtag]

23 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

We knew this was coming, but it's still the end of an era in professional sports.

Expected since the announcement of his stroke. Being 75+ with a stroke and passing out at a random restaurant isn't best for his health.


I assume this means they have their guy lined up. 

[GoHorns1]

1 hour ago, Bobbers said:

 While he annoys the hell out of me, I have to say that he's one of the five best coaches in my lifetime in any sport.

Loved him on and off the court because I agreed with him.

[Hashtag]

Just saw they're making Mitch Johnson the HC...that is a terrible terrible hire.

[jkates]

2 hours ago, Bobby Burton said:

Wow. End of an era. 

Indeed. 

[ThatHornsGuy87]

Long past time. He has nothing else to prove. He's one of the all time greats. 

[817 Boxing B]

Pop... John Thompson and Nolan Richardson... only guys I ever wanted to play for. A winner.. on and off the court. Legend.

[Burnt Orange Horn]

3 hours ago, Bobby Burton said:

Wow. End of an era. 

Last NBA coach to demand defensive intensity?  I do not know as I have not watched the WWE NBA for decades.

[Burnt Orange Horn]

2 hours ago, UTexas said:

Great coach. I don't care for him personally but he is definitely one of the best coaches ever.

One of the most thought provoking NBA coaches.  I admire that even more than his coaching ability which was immense.

[Sancho]

GOAT - to do what he did in SA...big time. just a force. Hope Becky gets a shot to replace him

[MarkInAustin]

1 hour ago, Hashtag said:

Just saw they're making Mitch Johnson the HC...that is a terrible terrible hire.

At first glance I am also critical of the hire.  However, looking around the NBA, I think there are only two really good coaches, Kerr and Spoelstra.  All the others seem to make bone headed decisions on rotations, on defenses, or on handling their spoiled rich rosters. 

So I will withhold judgment, hope he fills out his coaching staff [which was very short handed] with really good assistants, and gets the job done.  If he does not, Steve Kerr's contract expires at the end of next season. That might provide a chance to hire the best.

Edited May 2 by MarkInAustin

[GoHorns1]

24 minutes ago, Sancho said:

GOAT - to do what he did in SA...big time. just a force. Hope Becky gets a shot to replace him

Mitch Johnson has been named the new HC

[GetHooked]

1 hour ago, 817 Boxing B said:

Pop... John Thompson and Nolan Richardson... only guys I ever wanted to play for. A winner.. on and off the court. Legend.

Uggh.  We different.  

[Clint Baros]

the man who gave me a team to watch as a kid when Texas was going through the dark ages, what a legend

[817 Boxing B]

7 hours ago, GetHooked said:

Uggh.  We different.  

Hey man... humanity and compassion aren't common... especially in today's America. Being different is what used to make the whole concept of this place cool. Be you, I guess?🤷🏿‍♂️🤘🏿

[TXFF]

TIm Duncan made Pop a great coach. After Tim retired, he wasn't special. Also, I don't appreciate any sports figure inserting their personal political opinions into the game. That's one reason I enjoy sports...to get away from the political commentary...regardless of tribe.

[Dallas Horns Fan]

agreed, Pop's politics were not welcome and why do we think a basketball coach's opinion matters...

 

I watch sports to get away from politics, but clowns like Pop, Lebron, Kerr bring in politics....can they just talk about sports?  We have plenty of sources to get opinions on politics

 

[Thanos72]

Fascinating that this is about sports but those of you that lament his political positions are the very ones introducing politics into this thread. No one cares about your politics or hurt feelings about another’s thoughts that you somehow personalize. Stop the hypocrisy. Keep it about one of greatest eras of a team we saw that’s ending. 

[MarkInAustin]

This would be an interesting topic for a civics discussion.  We all agree that everyone has a right to the soapbox as long as everyone gets a turn and once on the soapbox one does not incite violence or criminal behavior.  So let's say I disagree with the celebrity Ted Nugent or the celebrity Lebron James.

Do I resent the celebrity for having a bigger soapbox than I have?  Or do I resent him or her because I disagree?  I expect politicians to have bigger soapboxes about politics and scientists to have bigger soapboxes about science, but maybe I have succumbed to thinking people should stay in their lane.

But here is a fact of American political history.  Everybody gets to use the politics lane and the religion lane.  Everybody.  It has been one of the exceptional features of the USA.  So I might lament the whole social network as People Magazine on steroids [and at 81, I do] but I think the alternative is much worse - see Russia.  See China.

[Bobbers]

There is so much hypocrisy in this thread already. 

We live in a polarized society.  Nobody wants to pay money for a product and then get lectured by the supplier of that product about politics.  Not only is it boring but it's bad business.  The NBA is suffering in a big way right now because of this very fact.

However, the idea that this coach was made by Tim Duncan is just silly.  Pops put together some of the greatest teams ever assembled by going around the globe to find complimentary pieces and directing their success.  He is up there with Saban imo as one of the best ever imo.