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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is arguably one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. With his extensive track record and reputation, it is clear that Popovich has an eye for talent.
But it turns out, that extends beyond just the players – it also applies to other coaches. During his days at Pomona College, Popovich ran into a potential recruit with true passion for the game. Little did Popovich know that, in 2019, the recruit would coach a team to the best record in the NBA.
That recruit was eventual Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. In a piece for Sports Illustrated about Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, author Chris Ballard explains the coach's unique backstory.
Article Continues Below“[Budenholzer] dreamed of playing at Arizona, but 6'1” kids who can’t dunk aren’t hot recruits. Plan B: Pomona College, a Division III liberal arts school on the outskirts of Los Angeles, where older brothers Joe and Jim had gone. The coach was Gregg Popovich.
“After watching Mike’s grainy VHS highlights, he phoned Joe. ‘I like him,' Joe recalls Pop—who would shortly depart for a job as an assistant with the Spurs—saying. ‘But I’m looking at a list of the top 500 players in the country, and he’s not on it. What little sway I have, I can’t afford to use on him. But if he gets in, tell him to come out for the team.'
“Mike got in.”
Popovich left Pomona College shortly after to accept a role within the Spurs organization and later made his way to the Golden State Warriors. As Ballard explains, during his time there Popovich offered Budenholzer an unpaid video job, which he accepted.
When Popovich returned to the Spurs as their head coach, he hired Budenholzer as an assistant and helped mold the rookie into a great coach. Budenholzer was hired by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013 and enjoyed a successful run there until parting ways with the team and joining Milwaukee in 2018.
Under Budenholzer, the Bucks have been unstoppable. At 58-20, they own the best record in the NBA. According to ESPN's BPI Playoff Odds, Milwaukee has a 40.5% chance of winning the title, easily the largest of any team.
With such a successful season, Popovich is certainly proud of his former apprentice.
