San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has long been considered as one of the best coaches in NBA history. He is no stranger to receiving high praise for his work ethic and desire to win, be it from his former players and fellow league greats.
Stephen Jackson, who played for Popovich for four seasons, is the latest to rave about the Spurs coach. He recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show where he talked about the veteran mentor teaching him how to be a professional, and how to be better at his job. He then added that there's no one he knows who works harder than the 68-year-old.
“He made me understand that the NBA is a profession, it's a job. It's not a game no more.”
“So I had to come to the gym every day with the notion that I'm fit to work. This is a job. I'm coming here to get better, and make everyone around me better. It's not solely about me.
“I've been on a lot of teams in the NBA, and no team prepares like Pop. Each team gets a scouting sheet on what guys do well and what guys don't like to do, but the Spurs' scouting reports are in real detail.”
Jackson won his lone NBA title under the tutelage of Popovich back in the 2002-2003 campaign. Although he played for several teams before reuniting with the Spurs after nine years, he brought with him the valuable lessons he learned from his former mentor and continued to be a fan of the three-time Coach of the Year winner.
Now in his 21st season with the Spurs, Popovich continues to be a well-respected coach around the league. Despite already winning five championships in his illustrious career, he is not showing any signs of slowing down.
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