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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich felt no need to hold his tongue after his team's Thursday night 95-91 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
“Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play,” Popovich told reporters, according to ESPN's Michael C. Wright. “No Knute Rockne speeches. It's your job. If you're a plumber and you don't do your job, you don't get any work. I don't think a plumber needs a pep talk. A doctor botches operations, and he's not a doctor anymore. If you're a basketball player, you come ready. It's called maturity. It's your job.”
While the comments are pretty stern from a head coach to a group of players, Popovich has earned the right and has the reputation of a certain standard of excellence and how much he demands from his players — a reputation that has earned him several championship rings and more 50 win seasons than a pair of hands can count during his stint at the helm.
The Spurs suffered their first road defeat of the season after starting a brilliant 13-0 away from home this season.
While Popovich isn't likely to be fazed by the loss, his main concern resides in his team's effort from the first blow of the whistle.
“We played 24 minutes again, as we have for about the last 10 games,” Popovich said. “We go through the motions in the first half.”
Without naming names, Popovich sent his message very clearly.
“We also have some people playing very poorly,” he said. “You have to participate in your own recovery. Some players have to play better.”
Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge shot a combined 9-of-25 from the floor in the loss.
