While San Antonio Spurs head coach and president Gregg Popovich has long been considered one of the most successful and knowledgeable people to man an NBA sideline, there might not be enough said about the way he's impacted his roster not just as players but as men.
Perhaps it was the time that he spent at the Air Force Academy, where he was the captain of the college's basketball team in his senior season, or even his five years of active duty with the Air Force. The tough love of mentor Larry Brown may have also played a part. However, Popovich — clearly a natural leader — also seems to just naturally be that type of person.
Alternately gruff and thoughtful his media pressers, even for those who only get a chance to see him on a TV screen, the 74-year-old Popovich truly reminds you of, well… somebody's dad.
With that said, as former Spurs floor general Tony Parker took to the podium during his Hall of Fame enshrinement on Saturday night, his message to and about Pop was as unsurprising as heartwarming:
“Coach Pop. You're unbelievable. I can say a lot of things about you… The way you cursed at me and the language that you used to push me, but I have my kids here so I'm just going to keep it simple. At the end of the day, you threw me in the fire at 19-years-old. Five games into my rookie year, you took me to the back of the plane… like ‘You're starting tomorrow.'
I was like ‘Really?… Did you talk to Timmy?'… and Pop was like ‘You'll be Fine. You're starting.'… The rest is history.”
"You've always been a second dad to me. Everything you did for me and my family I appreciate everything."
Tony Parker pays tribute to his former coach Gregg Popovich during his Hall of Fame speech 🖤
(via @spurs)pic.twitter.com/xgK339BSfr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 13, 2023
“You've always been a second dad to me, Pop. Everything you did for me and my family, I appreciate everything.”
Parker, the Spurs' all-time leader in career assists, spent 17 seasons with Popovich in San Antonio.
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