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For those that want to know why Gregg Popovich is so successful with whatever group of players the San Antonio Spurs have at any given moment, the answer lies in the little things.
It's dinners, words of encouragement, brutal honesty, and genuine care for this players. It may sound complicated, but it appears that Popovich just uses basic human decency.
And the most important thing is that Popovich doesn't just do one of the above things. He does them all, with everyone. And that's what matters, per Daniel Coyle of Time Magazine.
Alone, each of these signals would have a limited effect. But together they create a steady stream of magical feedback. For the Spurs, every dinner, every elbow touch, every impromptu seminar on politics and history adds up to build and reinforce a narrative: You are part of this group. This group is special. I believe you can meet our high standards.
In other words, the Spurs don’t succeed because they are good at basketball. They succeed because they are skilled at a far more important sport: building strong relationships.
It's not rocket science. Popovich is a good person who cares about his players and those around them. He cares about his coaching staff. He wants an environment where people want to be.
Perhaps a Spurs assistant coach put it best, per Coyle.
“A lot of coaches can yell or be nice, but what Pop does is different,” said assistant coach Chip Engelland. “He delivers two things over and over: he’ll tell you the truth, with no BS, and then he’ll love you to death.”
Who wants Popovich to adopt them now? *raises hand*
