Right now, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich remains 63 wins behind Don Nelson's all-time record of 1,335 career victories. This makes coach Pop the second winningest head coach in NBA history, but now at 71 years of age, it appears that the veteran shot-caller might just fall short of Nelson's record once Popovich finally calls it a career.
The current league suspension has become a huge factor in this regard, with Popovich's Spurs unable to play the remaining games of their current season. There have been rumblings that the NBA is now looking to cancel the season altogether, so if this decision pushes through, then it will have an adverse effect on Popovich's record.
It is worth noting, however, that coach Pop had just signed a three-year deal with San Antonio, which should keep him on board for a few more seasons. That being said, some people close to Popovich believe that he is “widely believed to be taking a year-by-year approach.” This is via David Aldridge and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Simply put, coach Pop might end up retiring even before his contract is up, and we're pretty sure the Spurs brass would allow him to do so if he so wishes.
For his part, Nelson did say that he hopes Popovich, a long-time friend, ends up beating his own record.
“I hope he gets it,” Nelson said, via Wes Goldberg of the Daily Democrat. “I hope he gets it soon.”
There has been a lot of talk about some of the greats, such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, all approaching the tail end of their career. People are saying that we should enjoy them while we still can, and the same can absolutely be said about the great Gregg Popovich.
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