You can’t blame the San Antonio Spurs for not having a lot of love for Kawhi Leonard. After all, Leonard forced a trade away from their beloved team, and his exit sent the franchise into a painful rebuilding process that is still underway.

Leonard returned to San Antonio on Wednesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and was expectedly met with loud boos from the home fans. And while Leonard might not have been paying attention to them, Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t having any of that.

Late in the second quarter, as the boos grew louder when Leonard stepped on the free throw line, Popovich decided to take the arena mic and address the Spurs fans.

“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play?” Popovich said. “It’s got no class. It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

Popovich’s plea didn’t actually work as the Spurs fans continued to relentlessly boo Leonard. But the superstar forward himself doesn’t seem to mind them much.

“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they’re probably going to boo me the rest of my career,” Leonard said after the game, which the Clippers won 102-109. “But I mean, it is what it is. Like I said, they’re one of the best fans in the league and they’re very competitive.”

Kawhi Leonard started his career with the Spurs in 2011. He helped the franchise win its most recent championship in 2014 while establishing himself as one of the league’s best players. Leonard’s relationship with the franchise broke down during his injury issues in 2017–18 and he ended up forcing a trade to the Toronto Raptors after the season.

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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.

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Gregg Popovich, Dirk Nowitzki, and Dwyane Wade are among the latest NBA legends to be nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. Their names were included in the list of nominees released on Wednesday for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“It will be an unbelievable moment, really,” Nowitzki said of the honor. “I mean, to top everything that has happened here the last couple years and words and accolades that have come my way, that will be the ultimate … to be enshrined, hopefully, with the greatest in our game ever.”

Joining the aforementioned NBA stars is the 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s team as well as the 1982 Cheyney University women’s basketball team that became the first historically black college or university to compete for an NCAA title.

While the finalists from the North American and women’s committees for the Hall of Fame are set to be announced at the NBA All-Star weekend on February 17 in Salt Lake City, the full class of Hall of Famers for 2023 is scheduled to be announced at the NCAA Final Four in Houston on April 1. The Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend is set to take place on August 11 and 12.

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Even though most believe that it is little more than a pipe dream, sources say that the Brooklyn Nets are going to make a serious move to try and get head coach Gregg Popovich to leave the San Antonio Spurs and come to New York.

Popovich, who has had incredible success coaching the Spurs over the last 22 years, including five championships, has not said anything about leaving San Antonio. However, it might be a good time to change, considering that San Antonio might be rebuilding for the first time in a very long time. This was the first season under Popovich in which the Sputs did not make the playoffs.

If Popovich is interested in coaching elsewhere next season, reports say that the Nets will do everything in their power to get him on board.

One of the reasons that Popovich is being linked to the Nets is the presence of Kevin Durant on the team. The NBA star and former MVP has yet to suit up for Brooklyn, but he and fellow star Kyrie Irving are expected to have a lot of say in deciding of who will be the Nets’ coach next year.

The Nets fired coach Kenny Atkinson in March after which interim coach Jacque Vaughn took over. Brooklyn was eliminated from the NBA playoffs this weekend by reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors.

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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.

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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.

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San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich is unsure whether he will renew his coaching job once his contract expires at the end of this season.

“I don’t know the answer,” – Popovich said when asked if the will still be Spurs coach next season.

Popovich tends to avoid media questions, so it’s hard to know exactly what he intends to do after this season. But his team is currently tied for the fifth seed and has won seven of the last ten games. While he could retire after his contract expires, the team’s owner R.C. Buford has it clear that Popovich will have his job available for as long as he wants.

“He’ll coach as long as he wants to coach,” Buford told a New York Times reported after Wednesday’s 105-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Popovich turns 70 close to the end of this month, and he will be only the fourth coach in the league’s history to coach at 70.  The others were Bill Bertka, Larry Brown and Hubie Brown and they all retired by 71. With five championships to his name and a winning seasons for 22 of the 23 years he’s been coach for the Spurs, Popovich is the most successful coach in the group.

Whether he chooses to retire is only a matter of time though. As of now, he’s committed to taking Spurs to the playoff and has gigs to coach Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China and the Olympics in Tokyo, 2020.

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After criticizing his former player Kawhi Leonard for lack of leadership skills, San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Leonard, who now plays for Toronto Raptors, said that he heard about Popovich’s comments and called them “funny.”

“I heard about it. It’s just funny to me because, you know, I don’t know if he’s talking about last year or not, but I guess when you stop playing they forget how you lead,” – Leonard told reporters. “Other than that, it doesn’t matter. I’m here with the Raptors. My focus is on the season and not what’s going on the other side.“

According to Leonard, he is a leader but shows it in another way.

“I lead by example coming into practice every day. Just going hard and coming into these games mentally focused,” – the 27-year-old added.

Although Kawhi Leonard supposed to be the Spurs’ franchise player for years to come, the relationship between him and the organization became fractured after he suffered an injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Leonard and Spurs had disputes over the way his injury should be handled, and the player ended up making a trade request in June 2018.

Leonard ended up being traded to Toronto Raptors alongside Danny Green, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first round draft pick.

So far in the 2018-19 season, Kawhi Leonard played 15 games for the Raptors, averaging 24.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

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Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich is putting the final touches on the rest of his coaching staff and has decided to name Golden State Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr as his assistant on the team. This won’t be the first time they work together since Kerr played under Popovich in 2002–2003 NBA season at San Antonio Spurs.

USA Basketball confirmed the decision on Thursday revealing that Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan and Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright will also join in as assistants for 2019 World Cup in China and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

It is believed that Steve Kerr is one of the frontrunners to take the head coaching job at Team USA after Gregg Popovich and that his time as an assistant will prepare him for the challenges of coaching on an international level. Kerr was part of the Team USA while he was playing at the University of Arizona, participating in 1986 FIBA World Championship and winning a gold medal.

“This is an incredible opportunity and one I’m extremely grateful for,” – said Kerr in a statement. “I had the good fortune to participate in our USA Basketball program as an amateur, and to have the chance to return to the world stage three decades later and work under Pop, one of my former coaches and a mentor, is a tremendous honor.“

Nate McMillan has a longtime history of working with USA Basketball, having been an assistant under coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2006 to 2012. Jay Wright, on the other side, previously served as a head coach of Team USA at 2005 World University Games and 2007 Pan Am Games.

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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.

You can’t blame the San Antonio Spurs for not having a lot of love for Kawhi Leonard. After all, Leonard forced a trade away from their beloved team, and his exit sent the franchise into a painful rebuilding process that is still underway.

Leonard returned to San Antonio on Wednesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and was expectedly met with loud boos from the home fans. And while Leonard might not have been paying attention to them, Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t having any of that.

Late in the second quarter, as the boos grew louder when Leonard stepped on the free throw line, Popovich decided to take the arena mic and address the Spurs fans.

“Excuse me for a second. Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play?” Popovich said. “It’s got no class. It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

Popovich’s plea didn’t actually work as the Spurs fans continued to relentlessly boo Leonard. But the superstar forward himself doesn’t seem to mind them much.

“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on, they’re probably going to boo me the rest of my career,” Leonard said after the game, which the Clippers won 102-109. “But I mean, it is what it is. Like I said, they’re one of the best fans in the league and they’re very competitive.”

Kawhi Leonard started his career with the Spurs in 2011. He helped the franchise win its most recent championship in 2014 while establishing himself as one of the league’s best players. Leonard’s relationship with the franchise broke down during his injury issues in 2017–18 and he ended up forcing a trade to the Toronto Raptors after the season.

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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.

Gregg Popovich, Dirk Nowitzki, and Dwyane Wade are among the latest NBA legends to be nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. Their names were included in the list of nominees released on Wednesday for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“It will be an unbelievable moment, really,” Nowitzki said of the honor. “I mean, to top everything that has happened here the last couple years and words and accolades that have come my way, that will be the ultimate … to be enshrined, hopefully, with the greatest in our game ever.”

Joining the aforementioned NBA stars is the 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s team as well as the 1982 Cheyney University women’s basketball team that became the first historically black college or university to compete for an NCAA title.

While the finalists from the North American and women’s committees for the Hall of Fame are set to be announced at the NBA All-Star weekend on February 17 in Salt Lake City, the full class of Hall of Famers for 2023 is scheduled to be announced at the NCAA Final Four in Houston on April 1. The Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend is set to take place on August 11 and 12.

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Even though most believe that it is little more than a pipe dream, sources say that the Brooklyn Nets are going to make a serious move to try and get head coach Gregg Popovich to leave the San Antonio Spurs and come to New York.

Popovich, who has had incredible success coaching the Spurs over the last 22 years, including five championships, has not said anything about leaving San Antonio. However, it might be a good time to change, considering that San Antonio might be rebuilding for the first time in a very long time. This was the first season under Popovich in which the Sputs did not make the playoffs.

If Popovich is interested in coaching elsewhere next season, reports say that the Nets will do everything in their power to get him on board.

One of the reasons that Popovich is being linked to the Nets is the presence of Kevin Durant on the team. The NBA star and former MVP has yet to suit up for Brooklyn, but he and fellow star Kyrie Irving are expected to have a lot of say in deciding of who will be the Nets’ coach next year.

The Nets fired coach Kenny Atkinson in March after which interim coach Jacque Vaughn took over. Brooklyn was eliminated from the NBA playoffs this weekend by reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors.

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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.

San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich is unsure whether he will renew his coaching job once his contract expires at the end of this season.

“I don’t know the answer,” – Popovich said when asked if the will still be Spurs coach next season.

Popovich tends to avoid media questions, so it’s hard to know exactly what he intends to do after this season. But his team is currently tied for the fifth seed and has won seven of the last ten games. While he could retire after his contract expires, the team’s owner R.C. Buford has it clear that Popovich will have his job available for as long as he wants.

“He’ll coach as long as he wants to coach,” Buford told a New York Times reported after Wednesday’s 105-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Popovich turns 70 close to the end of this month, and he will be only the fourth coach in the league’s history to coach at 70.  The others were Bill Bertka, Larry Brown and Hubie Brown and they all retired by 71. With five championships to his name and a winning seasons for 22 of the 23 years he’s been coach for the Spurs, Popovich is the most successful coach in the group.

Whether he chooses to retire is only a matter of time though. As of now, he’s committed to taking Spurs to the playoff and has gigs to coach Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China and the Olympics in Tokyo, 2020.

The post Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Won’t Commit to Coaching Next Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After criticizing his former player Kawhi Leonard for lack of leadership skills, San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Leonard, who now plays for Toronto Raptors, said that he heard about Popovich’s comments and called them “funny.”

“I heard about it. It’s just funny to me because, you know, I don’t know if he’s talking about last year or not, but I guess when you stop playing they forget how you lead,” – Leonard told reporters. “Other than that, it doesn’t matter. I’m here with the Raptors. My focus is on the season and not what’s going on the other side.“

According to Leonard, he is a leader but shows it in another way.

“I lead by example coming into practice every day. Just going hard and coming into these games mentally focused,” – the 27-year-old added.

Although Kawhi Leonard supposed to be the Spurs’ franchise player for years to come, the relationship between him and the organization became fractured after he suffered an injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Leonard and Spurs had disputes over the way his injury should be handled, and the player ended up making a trade request in June 2018.

Leonard ended up being traded to Toronto Raptors alongside Danny Green, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first round draft pick.

So far in the 2018-19 season, Kawhi Leonard played 15 games for the Raptors, averaging 24.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

The post Kawhi Leonard Says Gregg Popovich’s Criticism of Him is “Funny” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich is putting the final touches on the rest of his coaching staff and has decided to name Golden State Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr as his assistant on the team. This won’t be the first time they work together since Kerr played under Popovich in 2002–2003 NBA season at San Antonio Spurs.

USA Basketball confirmed the decision on Thursday revealing that Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan and Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright will also join in as assistants for 2019 World Cup in China and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

It is believed that Steve Kerr is one of the frontrunners to take the head coaching job at Team USA after Gregg Popovich and that his time as an assistant will prepare him for the challenges of coaching on an international level. Kerr was part of the Team USA while he was playing at the University of Arizona, participating in 1986 FIBA World Championship and winning a gold medal.

“This is an incredible opportunity and one I’m extremely grateful for,” – said Kerr in a statement. “I had the good fortune to participate in our USA Basketball program as an amateur, and to have the chance to return to the world stage three decades later and work under Pop, one of my former coaches and a mentor, is a tremendous honor.“

Nate McMillan has a longtime history of working with USA Basketball, having been an assistant under coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2006 to 2012. Jay Wright, on the other side, previously served as a head coach of Team USA at 2005 World University Games and 2007 Pan Am Games.

The post Gregg Popovich Names Steve Kerr His Assistant on Team USA 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.