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Gregg Popovich's decision to retire from being head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after 29 years made waves in the NBA community. It even drew emotional statements from legends Shaq and Charles Barkley.
Ahead of Saturday's Game 7 matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, O'Neal, Barkley and the NBA on TNT crew celebrated Popovich's coaching career and the impact he left. O'Neal pointed out his history with the Spurs legend, while Barkley was thankful for everything he did for the game.
“I've always had admiration and respect for him and playing against them all those years. You know, we know we had to either go through Sacramento or San Antonio to get to the championship, and when we weren't winning, the Spurs are winning. So, like you said, legendary career, but you know, just a better man, I'm sad we're not gonna be seeing them on the court. But Pop, thank you, brother. Appreciate you very much,” O'Neal said.
“Anybody who's in the service, I have great admiration and respect for them. I mean, to think about an NBA coach being a veteran like that's kind of crazy to even think about, but it just shows you the type of person he was. I just want to say thank you for your service and thank you for everything he did for the game,” Barkley said.
The Fellas showed love to Coach Pop after his decision to step away from coaching 🫶 pic.twitter.com/pyQW2Zw4Q0
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2025
What's next for Spurs after Gregg Popovich's decision
It was a heartwarming tribute from Shaq and Charles Barkley and the NBA on TNT crew to make. The impact Gregg Popovich left on the game throughout his coaching career will have the respect of everyone in the league.
Popovich will remain with the Spurs as the team president, effectively ending his head coaching career after 29 years. He won five NBA championships in that span, having done it in three different decades. San Antonio experienced their best success in franchise history thanks to Popovich, making his decision to step down a significant one.
The Spurs announced they will have Mitch Johnson become the successor to Popovich, as he managed the squad throughout the second half of the regular season. Expectations will be high for Johnson to bring San Antonio back to the playoffs, which they haven't reached since 2019. However, he will apply everything he learned from the legendary coach and bring back success to a young team with a lot of potential.
