Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Want to Enter Hall of Fame Without Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich in 2017.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in 2017. Photo by Stephen Lew/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (9237139y)

Legendary San Antonio Spurs and Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich has been eligible for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for quite some time, but he has decided to pass on that opportunity. Each time Popovich’s name has been mentioned in talks for Hall of Fame, he has rejected eligibility and election. Well, it turns out he has a specific reason for doing this.

According to Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Popovich is waiting for another Spurs’ legend, Tim Duncan, to become eligible so that they could enter the Hall of Fame together. Duncan will be eligible as soon as 2020.

Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan share a special bond as they won five NBA titles during the 19 years they spent together in San Antonio. Popovich became Spurs’ coach in 1996, and just a year after, he drafted Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in the draft. Since then, San Antonio’s luck changed for the better, and they established themselves as one of the most significant dynasties in modern NBA history.

Under Popovich, Duncan won several individual accolades including NBA Rookie of the Year, two NBA MVP trophies, and three NBA Finals MVP awards. He also has 15 NBA All-Star appearances and 15 NBA All-Team honors.

Harley loves music and tries to go to a music festival every summer. When he's not listening to music, he writes about movies, food and wine, art, and sport.