Some clarity has been provided regarding the absence of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, with ‘major concerns surrounding the situation’ regarding the 75-year-old’s health.
Few precise details are known about Popovich’s time away from the team, other than he had a “serious health issue” before the Spurs’ game on Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Popovich also missed Monday night’s game against the Clippers and no return date has been set for him at this time. according to ESPN.
Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson is leading the team on an interim basis, with no one outright saying Popovich is done coaching.
Still, the statements from San Antonio paint a picture of him being away from the bench indefinitely.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be absent from the team indefinitely
Popovich is dealing with a ‘serious issue’ and he is of ‘great concern’
“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 Monday.
“It’s hard to express or put into words, and if I tried, it wouldn’t do it justice. He has been great to me personally, and right now his health is priority number 1. We support him 100 percent and I spoke to him last night. He’s in a good mood. He’s doing great, and we can’t wait to have him back.”
Popovich is the longest-tenured coach in American sports, halfway through his 29th season leading the Spurs.
Popovich has been rumored to retire for years as he ages, and has only grown louder with the team’s 22-60 record in each of the past two seasons.
Still, San Antonio has had an early, stronger start to this season, above that trend, going 3-4.
Now the Spurs will be without Popovich for what appears to be the longest stretch in three decades.