Gregg Popovich is considered one of the greatest basketball minds the sport has ever seen. That's why his effusive praise of Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine definitely holds a lot of weight.
The San Antonio Spurs coach was asked about facing off against Zach LaVine ahead of his team's clash against the Bulls. Coach Pop had the chance to coach up LaVine during their time together with Team USA during the Tokyo Olympics. Safe to say the All-Star left the legendary coach impressed.
Via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports:
“The thing I remember most about him, and I can almost quote him, is he would say, ‘Pop, just tell me what you want me to do and I'll go do it.' He must've told me that 10 times while we were there. And he would follow through on it,” Popovich said. “I'd say, ‘We gotta have you play ‘D.' We gotta have you use athleticism to make some stops. At the other end they can't stop you if you're active and aggressive.' And he did those things.
Pop also compared him to another rising shooting guard in Devin Booker. With LaVine's Bulls trying to replicate what the Suns did last season, the juxtaposition one is definitely welcome from fans in Chicago.
“He was a helluva lot of fun,” Popovich said on the Bulls star. “He was so important to what we did just because of his special skills. He and Devin Booker were kind of similar in that regard. They really gave us pace. The speed with which he plays, the athleticism he uses, I would be in awe from time to time with some of the things he would do on the court. That speed, that pace that he gave us allowed a lot of things to happen.”
Zach LaVine has always been one of the most exciting players in the league, even before he made his star turn and long before he joined the Bulls. But he clearly has the mental fortitude and determination to use his immense athleticism and talent into on-court success – Gregg Popovich would surely attest to that.
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