In a rare bit of footage, San Antonio Spurs and Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich was recently caught on film exhibiting his rather impressive basketball skills.
This brief clip of the 70-year-old veteran head coach casually sinking a mid-range jumper is being brought to us courtesy of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
Coach Pop staying ready in case another Team USA player withdraws 😤
(via @spidadmitchell | IG) pic.twitter.com/YOWJNclVyi
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) August 19, 2019
At his ripe age, Pop obviously still has the moves. Mitchell, at 22, is 48 years (!) the junior of coach Popovich, and was more than impressed with how the five-time NBA champion coach made that smooth behind-the-back dribble look so effortless.
Of late, it was Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox who decided to withdraw from the national squad, with just weeks remaining before the FIBA World Cup tournament in China kicks off. While Fox's decision is only the latest of a string of noteworthy withdrawals from the squad late on, Team USA still has more than enough talent in the lineup, so coach Pop shouldn't be too worried.
Mitchell will be one of the most important players on the team, and it's actually quite intriguing how the rising star will be able to translate his game at the international level.
Entering only his third season in the league, the former 13th overall pick currently still has a ton of room in his trophy cabinet, and a gold medal for the national team would definitely be a great way to start his collection.
Last year — one season removed from a rookie campaign that had more than a few folks convinced that he should have bagged the Rookie of the Year award over eventual winner Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers — Mitchell came out with an even better campaign compared to his debut season, averaging 23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
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