San Antonio Spurs’ legendary head coach Gregg Popovich is extending his stay with the franchise for at least five more years. Aside from his coaching role, Popovich will continue serving as President of Basketball Operations.

The Spurs confirmed the news over the weekend but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Popovich’s new deal with the Spurs is worth $80 million. This makes him the highest-paid head coach in the NBA again, with a $16 million annual salary. He surpassed Monty Williams, who held the title for a short period of time after signing a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Detroit Pistons.

Gregg Popovich originally joined the San Antonio Spurs as general manager and vice president of basketball operations in 1994. He appointed himself the team’s head coach early in the 1996–97 season and has since established himself as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the league.

Popovich led the Spurs to five NBA titles and has at least one in each of the past three decades. He won 1,366 regular-season games as a coach, which is the most by any coach in the history of the NBA. Popovich is ranked third in playoff wins with 170.

The post Spurs Give Head Coach Gregg Popovich a New 5-Year Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Want to Enter Hall of Fame Without Tim Duncan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While there were rumors in the past that San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich might be considering retirement, it seems like that won’t happen just yet. According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Popovich is expected to return for his 24^th season in NBA and stick around beyond that.

Wojnarowski reports that Popovich, who turned 70 in January, negotiated a new contract with the Spurs in the last couple of days and will ink a three-year deal. The new contract will keep him as the highest paid coach in the NBA.

Gregg Popovich previously confirmed that he and Spurs are negotiating a new deal but remained cagey about his future.

“My contract is basically my business, but I’ll break the rule this time. I’m currently in a negotiation that I could very well end up with the Portofino Flyers or Positano Pirates. I think that it’s like one-third Positano, one-third Portofino and one-third San Antonio, so we’ll see where it ends up.” – Popovich told reporters on Monday.

“Good luck to all of you this summer,” – he added. “Be safe. We live in a dangerous country because nobody has any courage to do what they need to do. So, enjoy and we’ll laugh a lot next fall.”

During his time with the Spurs, Popovich won five NBA titles, while reaching the postseason 22 consecutive season, which is a league record. He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times and has 1,245 career wins which puts him on the third place on the all-time list.

The post Gregg Popovich Expected to Sign 3-Year Deal with the Spurs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One year ago, San Antonio Spurs training facilities were full of familiar faces. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were getting ready to show that they can still be valuable contributors after 16 years in the NBA and four championships together. Kawhi Leonard, recovering from his quad injury, was looking to emerge as the team’s unquestionable new leader and prove that the NBA Finals MVP award he won in 2014 wasn’t just a coincidence. Gregg Popovich was probably smiling on the side and was already tinkering with plans to stop the Golden State Warriors dynasty.

It is funny how things can drastically change in just 365 days.

This year, there will be lots of introductions in Spurs house. Ginobili retired, Parker left to Charlotte, while Leonard was traded. Popovich is the only one left, and you have to wonder is he facing his biggest challenge just now, after already coaching 23 years in the NBA? Will this be the season when Spurs’ streak of 21 consecutive seasons as a playoff team comes to an end? What’s next for San Antonio Spur and Gregg Popovich?

Contrary to popular belief, Spurs and Popovich should be written off just yet.

This season, although partly a rebuilding one, won’t be the biggest challenge for Gregg Popovich as many people think. Remember he has beaten one of NBA’s most famous superteams in Miami Heat, who had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their prime? And that he did it with aging Tim Duncan and inexperienced Kawhi Leonard?

If you are in a mood for debate, then last season was definitely bigger challenge than this one. Spurs were without their best player for all season, and they still managed to snag a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference. Popovich isn’t one of the best coaches in the history of the league without reason. He knows how to put the players in a perfect position to win, maximizing their strengths and hiding their weaknesses.

Now, although the West is somehow even stronger this year, so are the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, we know that DeMar DeRozan isn’t Kawhi Leonard by any stretch of the imagination, but he represents 22+ points a game player that the team didn’t have last year. Combine that with a reliable LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, improved Dejounte Murray and talented rookie Lonnie Walker, and you have yourself a team that can get to 48 wins at least. This will probably be enough for 6th through 8th seed once again, and Spurs will keep the streak alive.

Finally, you wonder what’s next for San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich? Well, another NBA championship is out of the question of course. No matter how good Popovich is, his team just doesn’t have the star power to compete with Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder. But, the important thing is that the Spurs won’t end up at the bottom of the Western Conference and will remain relevant for years to come. They will be a team no one will be comfortable facing and will continue to improve as their young players get more experience. Popovich will be able to retire while the team is still winning games, and won’t be a part of the tanking business, securing his legacy as arguably one of two best coaches basketball has ever seen.

This future might not be the one Spurs’ fans were hoping last year, but it will be a lot better than it looks like at the moment.

The post Opinion: What’s Next for San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

With the 98-85 victory over Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs managed to clinch the playoff spot for the 21st consecutive season. This also became the second longest playoff appearance streak (tied with the Portland Trail Blazers) in the history of the league. The Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called the feat “wonderful.”

Although the NBA playoffs without the Spurs seem unimaginable, that was a real option this season. Their best player Kawhi Leonard only played in nine games this season, with the team having to send 25 different starting line-ups due to various problems and injuries. This, combined with the loaded Western Conference, meant that Spurs had to really fight their way into the playoffs.

“It is a different position,” – said Popovich. “We haven’t really been in that kind of a position very often. But all the same, things apply: being humble in wins, learning from losses and moving on, not dwelling on things, just trying to improve. It’s like we’ve said in any other year: We want to be the best team we can be, come playoff time. I think at this point, other than our road play, we’ve gotten to the point where we know our team pretty well. We’re as good as we can get. We’ve got a lot of guys that have really progressed. We all have been frustrated because we wanted to pick up where we left off last year, and that didn’t happen for all the reasons we know. But life goes on. I think under the circumstances, they’ve done a wonderful job of being in this position. Hopefully, we’ll finish it the right way.“

San Antonio Spurs currently sit as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, with one game left to go. If they manage to beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, they will secure at least the fifth seed and could even get the four in case Utah Jazz loses one of their two games left.

The post San Antonio Spurs Clinch The Playoff Spot for 21st Consecutive Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

San Antonio Spurs’ legendary head coach Gregg Popovich is extending his stay with the franchise for at least five more years. Aside from his coaching role, Popovich will continue serving as President of Basketball Operations.

The Spurs confirmed the news over the weekend but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Popovich’s new deal with the Spurs is worth $80 million. This makes him the highest-paid head coach in the NBA again, with a $16 million annual salary. He surpassed Monty Williams, who held the title for a short period of time after signing a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Detroit Pistons.

Gregg Popovich originally joined the San Antonio Spurs as general manager and vice president of basketball operations in 1994. He appointed himself the team’s head coach early in the 1996–97 season and has since established himself as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the league.

Popovich led the Spurs to five NBA titles and has at least one in each of the past three decades. He won 1,366 regular-season games as a coach, which is the most by any coach in the history of the NBA. Popovich is ranked third in playoff wins with 170.

The post Spurs Give Head Coach Gregg Popovich a New 5-Year Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Want to Enter Hall of Fame Without Tim Duncan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While there were rumors in the past that San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich might be considering retirement, it seems like that won’t happen just yet. According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Popovich is expected to return for his 24^th season in NBA and stick around beyond that.

Wojnarowski reports that Popovich, who turned 70 in January, negotiated a new contract with the Spurs in the last couple of days and will ink a three-year deal. The new contract will keep him as the highest paid coach in the NBA.

Gregg Popovich previously confirmed that he and Spurs are negotiating a new deal but remained cagey about his future.

“My contract is basically my business, but I’ll break the rule this time. I’m currently in a negotiation that I could very well end up with the Portofino Flyers or Positano Pirates. I think that it’s like one-third Positano, one-third Portofino and one-third San Antonio, so we’ll see where it ends up.” – Popovich told reporters on Monday.

“Good luck to all of you this summer,” – he added. “Be safe. We live in a dangerous country because nobody has any courage to do what they need to do. So, enjoy and we’ll laugh a lot next fall.”

During his time with the Spurs, Popovich won five NBA titles, while reaching the postseason 22 consecutive season, which is a league record. He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times and has 1,245 career wins which puts him on the third place on the all-time list.

The post Gregg Popovich Expected to Sign 3-Year Deal with the Spurs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One year ago, San Antonio Spurs training facilities were full of familiar faces. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were getting ready to show that they can still be valuable contributors after 16 years in the NBA and four championships together. Kawhi Leonard, recovering from his quad injury, was looking to emerge as the team’s unquestionable new leader and prove that the NBA Finals MVP award he won in 2014 wasn’t just a coincidence. Gregg Popovich was probably smiling on the side and was already tinkering with plans to stop the Golden State Warriors dynasty.

It is funny how things can drastically change in just 365 days.

This year, there will be lots of introductions in Spurs house. Ginobili retired, Parker left to Charlotte, while Leonard was traded. Popovich is the only one left, and you have to wonder is he facing his biggest challenge just now, after already coaching 23 years in the NBA? Will this be the season when Spurs’ streak of 21 consecutive seasons as a playoff team comes to an end? What’s next for San Antonio Spur and Gregg Popovich?

Contrary to popular belief, Spurs and Popovich should be written off just yet.

This season, although partly a rebuilding one, won’t be the biggest challenge for Gregg Popovich as many people think. Remember he has beaten one of NBA’s most famous superteams in Miami Heat, who had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their prime? And that he did it with aging Tim Duncan and inexperienced Kawhi Leonard?

If you are in a mood for debate, then last season was definitely bigger challenge than this one. Spurs were without their best player for all season, and they still managed to snag a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference. Popovich isn’t one of the best coaches in the history of the league without reason. He knows how to put the players in a perfect position to win, maximizing their strengths and hiding their weaknesses.

Now, although the West is somehow even stronger this year, so are the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, we know that DeMar DeRozan isn’t Kawhi Leonard by any stretch of the imagination, but he represents 22+ points a game player that the team didn’t have last year. Combine that with a reliable LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, improved Dejounte Murray and talented rookie Lonnie Walker, and you have yourself a team that can get to 48 wins at least. This will probably be enough for 6th through 8th seed once again, and Spurs will keep the streak alive.

Finally, you wonder what’s next for San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich? Well, another NBA championship is out of the question of course. No matter how good Popovich is, his team just doesn’t have the star power to compete with Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder. But, the important thing is that the Spurs won’t end up at the bottom of the Western Conference and will remain relevant for years to come. They will be a team no one will be comfortable facing and will continue to improve as their young players get more experience. Popovich will be able to retire while the team is still winning games, and won’t be a part of the tanking business, securing his legacy as arguably one of two best coaches basketball has ever seen.

This future might not be the one Spurs’ fans were hoping last year, but it will be a lot better than it looks like at the moment.

The post Opinion: What’s Next for San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

With the 98-85 victory over Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs managed to clinch the playoff spot for the 21st consecutive season. This also became the second longest playoff appearance streak (tied with the Portland Trail Blazers) in the history of the league. The Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called the feat “wonderful.”

Although the NBA playoffs without the Spurs seem unimaginable, that was a real option this season. Their best player Kawhi Leonard only played in nine games this season, with the team having to send 25 different starting line-ups due to various problems and injuries. This, combined with the loaded Western Conference, meant that Spurs had to really fight their way into the playoffs.

“It is a different position,” – said Popovich. “We haven’t really been in that kind of a position very often. But all the same, things apply: being humble in wins, learning from losses and moving on, not dwelling on things, just trying to improve. It’s like we’ve said in any other year: We want to be the best team we can be, come playoff time. I think at this point, other than our road play, we’ve gotten to the point where we know our team pretty well. We’re as good as we can get. We’ve got a lot of guys that have really progressed. We all have been frustrated because we wanted to pick up where we left off last year, and that didn’t happen for all the reasons we know. But life goes on. I think under the circumstances, they’ve done a wonderful job of being in this position. Hopefully, we’ll finish it the right way.“

San Antonio Spurs currently sit as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, with one game left to go. If they manage to beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, they will secure at least the fifth seed and could even get the four in case Utah Jazz loses one of their two games left.

The post San Antonio Spurs Clinch The Playoff Spot for 21st Consecutive Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.